A Long Road Home
by Brazendale
Summary: It is one year since the whole world was turned up side down and Sookie Stackhouse was living as best as she could. She had no issues with her little world and was getting along just fine until one night ... This story was written in August 2013 at the end of True Blood Season 6. The author has taken license with the original themes so suspend any preconceived ideas and enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

A Long Road Home

Chapter 1

'I am so sorry Alcide.' He looked at her with something like contempt on his face. 'Oh come on Sookie, you can't be serious. You just can't be.' His chest heaved and his voice held a growl. 'Don't you be coming all wolf on me now, you see that is one of the things that I just can't handle, one of the things that is coming between us.' 'What? You really can't be seriously expecting me to believe that can you, when we both know that is not the reason, the real reason Sookie? The real reason is Bill Compton and we both know it.'

She looked at him trying to keep her face a blank. She swallowed hard and attempted to steady her voice. 'That's simply not so Alcide and you know it. You know that I can't bear to be anywhere near Bill.' 'Well honey, if that is the case then what are we doing living here right next door to that son of a bitch then? I have a perfectly good home that we could move into, it is almost brand new and it sure beats living here.' He was a fine one to talk. His home? A home that he had shared with Debbie Pelt! Her ghost would haunt her until she died she was thinking to herself.

It was her turn to huff at this last remark and clutching at anything that would steer the conversation away for the "Bill" word. 'And just what is wrong with living here?' She turned on him. 'This is my family home, we Stackhouse's have lived here for generations and this is where my family and friends live. Bon Temps is my home, my roots run deep here and I don't want to be anywhere else.' He snorted as he growled, 'I bet that you would move quicker than lightening if Bill moved out of town now wouldn't you? Wouldn't you Sookie? He flung the words at her stinging her with their venom. She hung her head for just a moment. 'I knew it, I knew it,' he was yelling at her. 'I thought that you were done with danger, I thought that you wanted a simple life, a normal life Sookie? I guess that I was wrong.'

She couldn't even look him in the eyes now. Her emotions were in turmoil. Just the mention of Bill's name made her heart pound ridiculously and it annoyed the suit case out of her. She had told herself time and time again that she hated Bill, that the wounds he had inflicted weren't ever going to heal and no matter what, it was over. But at the same time she had been doing a lot of thinking over the last year since things had changed in the world and she kept coming back to the fact that had she been in the same position as Bill then wouldn't she have moved heaven and hell to save those that she loved, wouldn't she have sacrificed the one thing that was most precious for the greater good of all. She was bought up Christian just as Bill was and she truly believed that yes, she would have done exactly the same things that he did in his desperation. Or at least she would like to think so.

She had a lot to apologise to him for but that ain't never going to be happening she had thought to herself, not with the way things are and have been. And besides, there was no way that she ever got to see him on her own now, Alcide kept her pretty much close to home if he wasn't around. She frowned at that thought as a flash of Warlow came to her mind. Wasn't that something like what he had intended, to keep her as a pet. Not that Alcide was anywhere near as bad but there were times that she missed her independence. She sighed at the thought of it all.

'I saw the way you were looking at him tonight,' Alcide went on, breaking her thoughts. He was just not going to let it go, he sure was like a dog with a bone. His words shot her thoughts back to earlier that evening when they had gone to Bellefleurs Bar and Grill, that was the cause of the conversation they were having right at that moment.

When Sam became Mayor of the town, he just didn't have enough time to look after the business and as Arlene had been nagging and nagging him to sell his share in the place to her, he had finally given in and gone through with it. Sookie, knowing how much Arlene needed something in her life to replace the life she had lost when Terry died, she had agreed to sell her share too but on the condition that Arlene let her come in and help her with the running of the place for wage. It worked out perfectly all round and seemed fitting that it all stayed in the Merlotte family so to speak and as Alcide wasn't too keen on her working nights anymore, her day shifts meant that they had more time to have a proper social life and that meant that quite often they would call in for a drink or quick bite on their way home from the movies or bowling over at Shreveport.

Tonight they had been out for dinner. Lala had been trying some new recipes on the patrons lately and he had been cooking up a batch of Cajun Chicken with an avocado, lime and chilli salsa that had her mouth-watering all day, so as soon as Alcide had come home from the job he was working on up in Munroe, he showered and changed and they headed on over. They were just finishing off their meal when Bill had come in and that was when things started getting a bit uncomfortable.

It wasn't really the fact that he was there, she had seen him around town and on TV of course, quite a lot in fact since he had written his book about his time as a 'God' – she always sniffed a little at the thought of that, wondering really what had happened and not believing what he claimed to be the truth in the book, but tonight it was the fact that he had come in and he wasn't alone. He was so not alone. There was not a single head that did not turn to stare as he gallantly escorted the tall blonde woman he was with over to a booth and sat her down. Hmm, not just any booth either she noticed, it was the booth that he had sat at when he had first come in, the one that she always marked in her mind as being 'their booth'. Silly she thought, after all this time. She reminded herself – must stop clinging to the past, time to move on. From now on it was just another booth, same as all the rest she kidded herself.

From where she was sitting she had to crank her neck a little to see past Alcide to where Bill was sitting. In fact she had done so much gawking that her neck was feeling kind of stiff now but she just couldn't help herself. Bill was sitting there with Katie Watson, yep it was her alright, none other than one of the most up and coming reporters on TV and she was even more stunning in person than she was on the screen. To make it worse, it looked like they were having just a wonderful time together.

Katie was one of those blondes that had a natural honey colouring and a sun kissed healthy look to her. She had a figure to die for and legs that just seemed to go on and on. She was well educated, came from a stable and loving middle class background and had a laugh that was infectious. Well it seemed to be pretty infectious to Bill cause he was sure doing a lot of laughing of his own. In fact Sookie had never seen him look so … happy. She could tell just by the way that he was looking at her that he was just as charmed by her as she was with him, and as perverse as it may seem, it rankled her.

Sookie was just hating it.


	2. Chapter 2

'So folks hope you all have enjoyed your meal.' Arlene was standing next to their table bubbling away, full of bonhomie, hostessing her little heart out. It did Sookie good to see her so full of life again, renewed so to speak by her enthusiasm for her new found role. Lord knows she had gone through enough with what happened after Terry's death, what with the investigation into his murder and the insurance company giving her so much grief before finally paying out.

But that had only been after Jason and Violet had tracked down Terry's ex-army buddy and got a confession out of him. She still didn't feel that comfortable about Violet's involvement in it. She had her suspicions that somehow things weren't quite the way that the low life of a friend had said they were when he told the police he had some old score to settle with Terry going back to their training days, but it was a topic that Jason preferred to keep closed and there was no way that she would bring it up with Violet.

As much as she was grateful to Violet for the part in her rescue and revival that she had played, or what she remembered of it which really was precious little, there was something a little disconcerting about her relationship with Jason that she didn't quite like. With Jason and Violet seemingly together as a couple, she admitted that he had never been with one woman quite as long as he had been with her and all, but he kind of wore a tired and run down look about him now that he had never had before, and it worried her. Well, that was none of her business really she concluded, it was for Jason to sort out, none of her business being her new motto in life these days.

She had learnt her lesson and there was no way she was sticking her nose in to his business or anyone else's, besides, Violet was kind of a pseudo employee of the bar now, acting as a sort peace keeper – bouncer and keeping an eye on the patrons. Arlene was not one to put up with any nonsense and was making sure that with Violet around, there would never be any. It made all the patrons feel a bit safer too, to have a vampire around that was healthy and strong, just in case.

And anyway, she still blushed when she thought of the dreams that she had experienced after taking Violet's blood so the less she had to do with her the better. It was really only on Jason's insistence that she was there in the first place.

'Can I get you all anything else?' Arlene offered. 'No,' Alcide said, 'we best be getting home.' He was smirking in a suggestive way at Sookie. 'Yes,' she hurriedly blurted out much to Alcide and Arlene's surprise, 'could I have a slice of that key lime pie that I just know Lafayette has on the back shelf of the second freezer?' Arlene looked more than a little surprised. That's odd she was thinking to herself, Sookie is never much of a one for desserts. I wonder why she decided … uh oh . . . I wonder if it has anything to do with Bill sitting over there looking mighty tasty tonight, she mused to herself.

That man sure is one handsome looking creature, she reflected. And those eyes, just look at the looks he is giving that Katie. I know that look and it is bedroom eyes if I ever did see any and it looks to me like he's sure not getting any objections, why she looks like she is just hanging on his every word and he isn't even doing that vampire thing, that glamouring thing that they do. I sure know that if he was giving me those looks he wouldn't have to glamour me to get me into bed with him. If I had those peepers looking at me like that why I would never let him go, hell I would never let him out of bed let alone out of my sight. I was sure wrong about him. He was so kind to me when Terry passed and everything, and he has been a godsend to us all, pity Sookie didn't hang on to him. Alcide is nice but he sure is no vampire Bill.

'Arlene!' she admonished her friend, giving her a withering look. 'Why Sookie, how many times have I told you and told you to stay out of my head, and I am sorry but I meant every word I was thinking?' She looked hard at her and then looked over to where Bill was sitting and noticed that he had finally taken his eyes off Katie and he was suddenly looking over in the direction of where they were. His face became a blank mask at the sight of them. 'One slice of pie coming up,' she said as she hurriedly turned and walked away leaving Sookie looking over to where Bill was still sitting with his eyes fixed on her for one brief moment before turning back to Katie with what she could only describe as a smoulderingly charismatic look on his face.

'Honey I forgot to tell you, I may have to stay over in Munroe for a few nights this week. Are you ok with that?' Alcide was asking her. She sat staring over in Bill's direction saying nothing. 'Sookie are you ok?' he asked as she had failed to respond to him. 'Hmm?' she murmured distractedly. 'Earth to Sookie…' he joked. 'Yep sure, anything you want,' she replied distractedly. She was really not paying that much attention and finally he looked around to see what it was that was so fascinating to her that she was miles away. Nothing seemed to be going on that was unusual he thought as he glanced around then half turning in his seat, he spotted Bill. Hell, so that was it. He gritted his teeth and sucked in his breath at the sight of the vampire.

He looked back at her, noticing her face wore a look that took him a few moments to fathom. There was a look in her eyes that he had never seen before and he couldn't quite place it until it suddenly hit him. 'Come on lets go.' He stood up and took her hand. 'But my pie?' she exclaimed. 'You can get your pie and take it home with us. We need to get out of here right now.' He wasn't angry but he sure wasn't happy. He had seen that look before but not on Sookie's face, ironically it had been on Debbie Pelt's face when she had seen him talking to Sookie of all people. It was pure jealousy.

She was looking at the back of Katie Watson's head and she was green with envy.


	3. Chapter 3

Grabbing the pie from Arlene as they paid for dinner they made a hasty departure, barely leaving Sookie enough time to say her thanks to Lafayette for the meal and to compliment him on the Chicken. Lala observed rather candidly with rolling eyes, that she sure was in one mighty rush to get out there. His eyes slid over to where Katie and Bill were sitting smiling at each other animatedly, deep in conversation.

'My my, that Katie sure is one good looking babe. I always thought that it was all make-up and lighting and lots of work to get her looking like peaches and cream but guess I was wrong. I would sure kill to get her beauty secrets cause whatever she does, she sure does it right. She just glows her perfect little buns off doesn't she. It just makes me green with envy. And she is so mighty nice too. Why she even asked Arlene to get the recipe for my chicken and pass it along to her, she said that she couldn't wait to try making it, now isn't that something? Who would have thought it, my chicken a la Lala. Mm, mmm mm,' he shook his head smiling to himself, 'I am just dancing on sunshine at the thought of it sweetness.'

'Looks to me like I am not the only one that is doing a bit of dancing on sunshine either, that is one sugar coated happy vampire hunipot,' he purred to her. 'I haven't seen our Mr William Compton looking quite that cheerful for such a long time and it is about time too. He sure does deserve to find a bit of down time, he has been working like I just don't know what, making sure that everyone stays safe and the perimeter around our little home sweet home stays secure.'

He went on, 'You know that Sam said that without our vampire Bill we would surely be all walking around like pin cushions Sook, and you know that would just ruin my complexion. Now isn't that a lot to be thankful for and,' he paused as he ran his eyes hungrily over towards Bill and scrutinised him like a starving man standing looking into a pastry shop window, 'he is all rolled up in one mouth-watering package too. There just ought to be law honey, that is all Lala is saying,' he shook his head as he stared at Bill, 'he is the whole package isn't he? I sure was wrong about him and am mighty sorry for the way that I have been bitching at him all this time, he is one cool vamp.'

Sookie's cheeks flamed at the comments that he made. Why the hell would he think that it would make any difference to her what he thought about, let alone what he thought about Bill and his happiness. He was supposed to be her friend and after all, it had nothing to do with her and it was none of her business she told herself how happy Bill looked or who he was looking happy with. She gave him such a look and he just shrugged murmuring, 'I know what I see, sugar that's all. I am just saying. You all have a hot night with that wolf of yours,' he winked. With that he turned his back on her and sauntered over to his griddle softly humming to himself and half singing a few words but all she caught was 'and she' before he kept humming the rest of the song. She knew that what he had said should not get to her but it did and she was mad as a cut snake at herself and at Lala and at Alcide too, she told herself unreasonably on the trip home.

The whole of the last year had been a bit like this. At first she had thought that everyone was just preoccupied with the worry of all that had happened but then as time went on and it became known that she was now in a relationship with Alcide, she began to notice a change in her friends. It wasn't her imagination and it wasn't just that she had taken up with a new man, although she did get some questioning looks when they had first gone to church together and it had become obvious that they were now living together. Even Maxine Fortenbury had been thinking that she was pretty fast and none too select going from man to man as she put it, when she sat next to her one Sunday morning before Sookie could block her mind from hearing what people were thinking about her.

No, there was something else at the heart of her friends change towards her and up until tonight she had not been able to put her finger on it but now she realised with a shock what it was. It was Bill. They all were taking Bill's side. Well, not taking his side but they were all seeing Bill in a different light these days. He was no longer a vampire to be treated with suspicion and fear. He was well respected amongst the community, her community and her friends. And she realised another home truth, they had more respect for him than they did for her.

When Bill had been King of Louisiana she hadn't paid all that much attention to the ground work that he had done amongst the community as she was too pre occupied with Eric. She shuddered at the thought of it now, Eric who had tricked her just as Bill had said he had done. Eric who had bought her house from under her and had told her he had known she would come back when really she wasn't too sure that it hadn't been just to get ownership of her. To be fair, he had given it back to her but … no, she wouldn't think of him now, for that matter she rarely even gave him a thought these days. Any feelings that she had for him weren't real, they had been impulsive she now realised. Why was it that she had been so very impulsive with both him and Warlow? Look where it had gotten her.

Her thoughts were flying all over the place now. What was it that had led her to think about Eric and then make the comparison with Warlow? She tried to focus. Oh yes that was it, Bill. She had been remembering that he had made inroads with his good deeds when he was King and she hadn't really paid any attention.

He had opened that old folks home dedicated to Caroline his wife. His wife, she mused, as her thoughts flew to what it must have been like for him to be married, to have children. A remembrance flashed through her mind of him standing there telling them all about his life, his human life that is, at the meeting of the descendants of the glorious dead. That had been the first turning point for Bill in his acceptance by the local community. She remembered how proud she had been of him that night, how she had felt towards him and how he had looked at her. Her heart had been bursting with pride at the reception he had received and it tugged at her heart strings right now at the remembrance.

She shivered a little at the thought as she remembered the rest of that night. That was the dreadful night that she had found Grans in the kitchen. She didn't know how she would have gotten through it all if it hadn't been for Bill. He had been there for her, comforting her, guarding her and being strong for her. And then, when Renee had finally pounced and come after her, Bill had been there again, putting himself in deadly peril to try to save her. Her heart lurched a little at the thought of it.

Now Bill, despite being turned into whatever it was that he had been turned into, despite all that she knew had been spoken between the two of them, and despite his part in numerous duplicitous events, Bill had the admiration, gratitude and respect of those that she had grown up with, worked with and lived with all her life. She didn't know whether she was angry or in some perverse way proud of that fact but she did know that right now, right at that minute it got to her. It got to her badly and she didn't like it one bit. She didn't like what her friends were thinking of her either and she didn't understand it.

First Arlene and now Lafayette … what on earth was wrong with all her friends she wondered. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. The song that Lala had been humming, the refrain permeated her thoughts until the words to the music bubbled hotly in her brain, it was Frankie and Johnny and she could hear it now, but with the lyrics changed. 'He was her man, and she done him wrong.' That's what they were all thinking she realised on the drive home.

And a tiny spark in the corner of her heart and her head had to agree with them.


	4. Chapter 4

The silence in the gleaming new pick up that Alcide had bought recently was cold and telling. It wasn't until they had walked into the parlour and she had offered to make coffee that she had snapped out of whatever the effect that seeing Bill had on her tonight and she came to her senses. 'I am sorry Alcide,' she had said and that had been the start of this dialogue. 'Sookie honey,' his words softened as the fire in his heart cooled, 'I saw the way that you looked at him. I know that despite yourself you still have feelings for him, I understand that. It's hard to let go, lord knows that I know that, but with everything that you went through and everything that you said to me, I really thought that you had.'

'You and I go way back honey, we both have skeletons in the closet,' she winced when he said that, she knew that he was talking about Debbie and after they had finally gotten together and become a couple as she liked to put it, she had talked long and hard to him, opening her heart about what had happened with Debbie and how dreadful she had felt lying to him. She had worried about how he would take it but he is a pragmatist and assured her that there was no holding it against her.

Debbie in some ways had it coming, he knew that and there was no way to go back. She had been her own worst enemy and that was about all there was to it. But Alcide also knew that he had to take some of the blame. Debbie had tried so hard to get herself clean and she had succeeded. She had turned her life around and they were happy together, really happy together, they were both wolf and understood each other totally but then, then there was Sookie. Alcide shook his head as he thought about it. He knew what it had done to Debbie when she realised his interest in her. Yes, he had a lot to answer for, he had to live with his guilt, and as much as he tried to close that door in his mind there were times that it just kept swinging open.

Yes, they both had skeletons in the closet, his was Debbie and hers was Bill. He knew of course about Eric but he didn't really even give him a thought as she never mentioned him, not even once in all the time that they had been together, so he considered him just a revenge fuck she had been through more than likely to get even with Bill and to get his attention. She had told him about Warlow too but that was one relationship he really didn't understand. He never said it but he just could not fathom how she could ever have put Warlow before her friends and particularly after having only known him a few short days.

Actually, as time went on and he got to know her a lot better, he had to admit that she did puzzle him with some of her actions. There were times that everything was great but he had begun to notice that most of those times it was when she was getting her own way and he was starting to get a little frustrated with it. Life could be great with her but it seemed like it was only on her terms and it made him wonder how a creature like Bill had put up with it. He must have loved her because it sure could get very trying he had begun to realise.

'You know that I know where you are coming from honey,' he went on with a frustrated sigh. Sookie knew he had lied to Debbie's parents for her and she knew that she owed him one, he was a decent man and exactly what she needed in her life but… dam it Bill Compton, why did he always seem to get under her skin and keep creeping into her thoughts lately.

'Sookie we are good for each other. I ground you and we make each happy honey, don't we?' He wasn't sounding as secure as he had been when he said this. 'We need each other don't we?' he asked looking at her, waiting for her to answer him. 'I am sorry Alcide, I don't know what I was thinking of. I guess that well, it is a year ago that all that Warlow and other stuff happened and I mean, well,' she was clutching at excuses for how she was feeling. She wasn't lying, it was nearly a year to the day that she had been attacked by Warlow in the Fae plane and she had been having nightmares about it lately, that and the fact that every time she saw Bill, whether it was on TV or in the distance it didn't really matter, she didn't know why but she always seemed to feel out of her skin.

She didn't remember much about that time immediately after Warlow's attack but she sure did remember the pain of his fangs as they tore into her flesh. She remembered feeling her life force draining out of her, the darkness pulling her down into a spiralling pool of cold dank blackness, the nothingness she was drowning in and then there was an empty void. Suddenly she remembered out of the endless shadow she had been plunged into that she had thought that she heard Bill's voice amongst the darkness and she had tried hard to cling onto it like a life line.

The next thing she remembered was seeing the vague shapes of Violet and Jason's faces when she awoke. Then he was there, Warlow. She could feel him. She knew he was there and she hid but still she wasn't safe. It was not until Niall appeared and Jason staked him, turning him into dust in front of her that she felt safe again for the first time in a long time.

The next few weeks were like a blur to her after he was gone. Niall had been wonderful. He had stayed with her making sure she was alright, talking her through her feelings, helping her to come to terms with how she had been fooled by Warlow's treachery. He explained how he too was tricked by him and had been banished into another part of Fae and how it had taken him a few moments to free himself, Fae moments but days in her life in Bon Temps time. He had arrived back in the nick of time but he admonished himself that he could not have spared her the pain and the treachery that she went through with Warlow.

'What is it Sookie?' He asked her one day, 'It is something more than Warlow and what happened isn't it that you have on your mind?' He was sitting in her garden in the sunshine on a quiet and peaceful day several weeks later when they were talking that he had asked her this. 'Granddaughter won't you tell me what is truly troubling you, what is in your heart,' he asked her gently. She swallowed and tears sprang to her eyes as she thought about it. 'My own parents were willing to kill me rather than have me turned into … to go off with,' she couldn't speak his name, not now so soon after it had all happened. 'And yet here I was ready to go to him and to …'

Niall shook his head. 'But that is the thing Sookie, were you really willing to do it? In the end was it not your decision not to go through with it that was the final straw for him? You couldn't go through with it, couldn't leave your friends and leave Jason and that stopped you.' Tears were pouring down her cheeks now, her face crumpling at the thought of that dark hour when she had gone to Fae and changed her mind.

'But Grandfather, you don't understand. When I went to him and told him that I agreed to keep my bargain, I was only doing it because….' 'Because what my child?' She hung her head and spoke softly, 'Because I didn't think that anybody cared about me anymore. I wasn't doing it for the right reasons, to save the vampires that I knew, that had been my friends. I wasn't doing it for that reason when even then I knew in my heart that Bill was desperate and that he was right. It must have hurt him so much. Bill…' She trailed off under the scrutiny of Niall's eyes.

Niall had left her one day not long after that with the promise that he would return but he could not say when. It was not for quite some weeks after he left that she realised what his parting words had meant but tonight she remembered them clearly. They had said goodbye on her lawn in the sunlight and he had nearly reached the tree line at the edge of her garden when he turned.

His voice came to her almost like a whisper on the breeze as she stood there watching him and heard him murmur, 'He is a good creature and he loves you so. You are the love of his life and that dear Granddaughter is the greatest gift that I can ever give to you,' then with a shimmer he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Time past and Niall's words stayed with her. She was reminded of them tonight at the sight of Bill. Niall's approval of him shamed her now when she thought of it. She had been so very cruel to him and yet her own Grandfather thought that he was worthy of her, that he loved her and there she was throwing it in his face the last time that they had spoken, right before he once again saved her life.

She sighed. She was so very confused and conflicted and angry and she had to admit it, she felt guilty. On top of all the turmoil flooding through her, her neck was throbbing a little where Warlow had attacked her. On the surface she was healed but the memory of the event haunted her and left deep and painful scars.

Alcide looked at her rather woebegone state. 'Honey I am sorry. I forgot that it would be hard for you around about now. Come on, what say we go to bed. I have something that I am sure is going to take your mind off things and help you relax,' he smiled suggestively at her, putting the whole episode tonight down to her having been reminded of Warlow and all that vamp shit as he liked to think of it when she had seen Bill. He chose to ignore what other motives for her behaviour there could be. To keep the peace right now he was willing to believe her for the moment but he sure hoped that she was telling him the truth, if not, then he was out of there. He just couldn't go through more of the same old. He needed something solid in his life and he had thought that he had found it in Sookie, maybe he had been mistaken.

There were things from his past that came back to haunt him too and he understood that sometimes as much as you put those things away in a room in your head and locked the door, thinking that you have thrown away the key, well sometimes just a little memory is enough to open it all up again and let it all out so he was hoping like hell that tonight was just one of those times. He sighed, only time would tell if he was right or not.

She didn't know what he had done before he had broken away from the pack, how he had threatened Sam and what had happened with Nicole and her friends. He had not told her and he had deliberately kept things from her. He didn't want her to know, he didn't think that she would understand and if she ever knew he had been involved in Emma's abduction he thought that she would not ever be able to forgive him for that, so he had his secrets to keep locked away too.

She looked up and him and smiled gratefully. He really was a decent man and she was grateful to him. She honestly didn't have anything to complain about in her life right now and she was content or as content as she had ever been. She was just being silly about seeing Bill there with another woman. Like what did she really care who he was with, she had Alcide and he was good to her, treated her right and he sure did like her, maybe a bit too much as time had gone on and, well he did sometimes make her feel a bit smothered but that was nothing compared to what she would have been going through if she had been shackled to Warlow, she kept telling herself.

Still, despite all the talking to herself that she did, when they were in bed making love that night, she couldn't stop the sudden yearning that she felt for a certain set of fangs running down her neck, a cool body lying on hers and a set of blue eyes that gazed into her soul and recognised her life force for what it was. Dam you Bill Compton, was the last thought that she had as sleep took her, dam you to hell.

'I'll ring you tonight when I check into the motel, shouldn't be later than around seven by the time I finish,' Alcide was saying with a mouthful of eggs and toast washed down with a large gulp of coffee the next morning as they sat down to breakfast. Boy he sure could eat she and he just loved her home cooking she observed. 'Ring me?' she questioned. 'Honey you really didn't hear a word that I said last night did you?'

He reached across the table and patted her hand. She sure must have been upset with those memories of hers, wish that there was some way to get them out of her head he thought, feeling sorry for her now in the light of day. She looked tired and drawn, not at all like the girl he remembered her to be when he first met her way back as she so frantically looked for Bill after he had been abducted by Russell Edgington's Were pack.

'Remember I have to stay over in Munroe for the next couple of days. That job we started on the new school gym is going to take a bit longer than I thought, they want an evacuation basement put in now so there was a last minute change to the plans, we will have to do a lot of excavating and shoring up before we can even start pouring the concrete in,' he said wiping his mouth on the serviette that was next to his plate, and absently brushing some crumbs from the table while he finished off his freshly squeezed orange juice.

'An evacuation basement?' she queried. 'Actually I think it makes sense. They are putting it in just in case there is ever another mass attack again and after last June and what happened here, they aren't taking any chances,' he explained as he drained the last of the coffee from his cup. She nodded thoughtfully. Her thoughts went back to that night in the car park at the BB&G when the hordes of hep vee infected vampires had made a sudden attack. She had to admit that if it had not been for Bill when he summoned Jess, who in turn bought James, Violet, Jason and Andy with them, then his call to bring in the Bon Temps sheriff department, she feared that they would not be around now.

When she later found out that Bill had set up plans for this kind of eventuality with Sam, she was impressed. Along with cachets of weapons stored around the town in depositories, as well as at places such as in Sam's trailer still parked out the back of the bar, they were better prepared than she or Alcide had realised.

She guessed that really she was pretty out of touch with what was going on around her, or she had merely chosen to close her eyes and mind to anything that was remotely connected to vampires and especially to Bill. Not that anyone ever really talked about him to her that much, and that was strange in itself but she didn't ask questions these days and no one seemed to make the effort with her to inform her.

It had been six months after Warlow had met the true death that the attack had happened and in that time she and Alcide had come together and formed a relationship but they were both changed. They were both scarred in different ways. He was now a lone wolf without a pack and she had totally cut herself off from vampires other than when she couldn't avoid Violet, who was now joined at the hip to Jason. She had seen Tara occasionally but there was a coolness now that had never existed before and it puzzled her, she didn't really know why that was so and it hurt. She had seen Jess around too but as close as she had thought that they were before, now she found that she almost seemed to deliberately snub her and she had no idea why. Come to think of it, even Jason seemed to clam up when it came to any mention of vampires or vampire business and she knew that he would know exactly was what going on in their world through Violet.

The closest thing that she got to an explanation came from of all people Lettie Mae Daniels nee Thornton, Tara's mother and now the reverend's wife. It came one day after a Sunday church service when all the ladies were outside the church discussing a bake off that they were going to have to raise money for homeless vampires, church fund raisers being a particular penchant of the newly reborn Reverend's wife. Sookie had offered to provide one of Gran's prize recipe pecan pies when it was made plain to her that it would not be welcomed. The look of surprise and shock on her face must have struck a core with Lettie Mae and taking Sookie aside she simply told her the truth and that was not to bother, her offer wouldn't be accepted.

'But why is that Lettie Mae?' she had asked her seriously bewildered and hurt. 'Well child,' Lettie Mae thought quickly trying to come up with a reason that wouldn't hurt her too much but decided that perhaps the truth was a better option, sometimes you just have to be cruel to be kind. 'It seems like you and Alcide have ruffled some feathers around here with some folks.' Sookie bit her lip to stop herself from saying something. 'Folks weren't none too impressed that you didn't seem to be all that grateful for what Bill and the others did the night of the attack at the bar and what they keep on doing to keep us all safe and,' Lettie Mae looked uncomfortable now but she carried on regardless, 'it is not for me to say how you live your life but well, there has been some talk.'  
'Talk?' she questioned, wondering just who had done the talking and thinking of the times that Tara had made her disapproval well known, particularly of Eric at the time. She knew that Tara had been angry with her and come to think of it, she probably still was. That would explain a lot.

'Honey I am not judging you but there have been a few men in your life recently and you know what folks will think. It was different when you were with Bill, everyone had doubts about him because he was vampire and people were just plain ignorant about vampires but all that has changed. He is such a good man. You have no idea what he has done for me. He gave me back my baby girl and she had suffered so much. Do you know how bad things were for her and Jessica and Pam and the others? Have you got any idea what they went through, what they suffered? Don't you know that Tara, all of them, were only minutes away from meeting the true death?'

Tears were pouring down Lettie Mae's cheeks as she spoke. 'It was Bill that saved them, he saved them all. And in saving them he very nearly died. I don't know how he is alive… well you know what I mean, and after what he suffered to save them ~ there is something so good about him, God has other plans for him. There is something special about him and the Lord knows what it is,' she nodded to herself, her eyes shining with belief looking off into the distance and seeing something that Sookie couldn't, she then turned to Sookie and searched her face but did not find what she was seeking.

'Open your heart Sookie, you won't be sorry.'


	6. Chapter 6

Sookie had kind of expected a mixed reaction from the townspeople after her revelation at Terry's funeral that she was a telepath but it seemed that was not the reason she was getting the cold shoulder from the human population of Bon Temps she supposed, after she had spent time reflecting on Lettie May's conversation. She was more than miffed that she was being judged for her personal business. What right did anyone have to judge her by who she had a relationship with? But on further reflection she realised that it wasn't who she was with now, it seemed more like who she wasn't with, and that was Bill. Hell, it wasn't that long ago that Bill had been a pariah within the community, or that was how they saw him when she first started going out with him. But then things had changed. It all began with the night of the meeting of The Descendants of The Glorious Dead.

It seemed like a life time ago now, she reflected as she thought back to the night Bill had stood in front of the townsfolk gathered to hear him talk. That night had marked a change in attitude, an acceptance and even a commiseration with and for him for what he had been through during the war and for what he had lost, meaning his family and for those with enough insight, his humanity. She remembered how proud she had been of him that night and how touched she and all the others present had been by his reminisces.

What she hadn't quite expected was that the vamps that she knew would turn as cold as she thought that they were towards her now though. That had never crossed her mind. Not that it mattered she told herself, isn't that what she wanted, a normal life without any excitement or danger, without fear or angst and hell, no one had tried to kill her for months and months now. All was peaceful in her life and at first she revelled in it, but as time wore on and she got into a routine with Alcide, the first bloom of their affair settling down into the next phase of their relationship, she began to get a little bored with her lot. Well not bored, but she told herself she was restless, she had been living with danger that much and for so long now that she didn't remember what it was like to be normal, that was until the night of the attack then things did seem to change in a most dramatic way.

When she had seen Bill standing there in the darkness of the car park she had the first really good close up look at him that she had gotten in the flesh since he had become what he had termed in his book as "normal" after he had drunk Lilith's blood. Hah! That was a laugh she had thought when she had covertly read the book, keeping it hidden upstairs in the secret recess under her bed where she and Jason had found the faery scroll. For some reason she really didn't want Alcide to know that she was reading it. It was silly but that was how she felt. She read it bit by bit whenever he was out working and she had some spare time, careful not to say anything or give any hint that she even had a copy in the house.

Even though she had read it, she still didn't quite understand exactly what had happened to Bill. His account had really been a bit beyond her. There was no mention of Warlow and definitely no mention of her, something that she had to admit to herself she was disappointed about when all was said and done. It seemed to be more of a philosophical journey into the pros and cons of a metaphysical existence on a higher plane and really half of what he was saying was way beyond her. She even had to resort to looking up words he had used in her online thesaurus just so she could try to understand half of what he was on about. When he had begun to discuss the possibility of cosmic - glue holding parallel universes together, in the bigger scheme of things, she was totally at a loss and failed to comprehend any point that he was making. She wasn't really able to grasp just what he was getting at and how any of that had to do with drinking Lilith's blood.

She also didn't quite see his point about the correlation between despair and the lengths one would go to when pushed to the brink and beyond to find solace in the very thing that went against one's fundamental beliefs. His discussion regarding fundamental darkness and light did not strike a chord with her and all in all, she didn't quite get how it had become such a best seller. As hard as she tried she just didn't buy the whole thing and when she had seen some of the interviews and he had said, when asked, that it was all about coming clean and gaining trust, she had snorted.

Then that night in car park, right before the attack had happened, he had said the same thing. He had talked of trust and what had she done? She threw it back in his face. What was it that she had said to him, almost spitting the words out in an effort to what, hurt him yet again the way he had hurt her? "That's the thing though, even at your best I could never really trust you." How ironical was it that right at that moment they had been attacked and true to his words he proved that he did mean what he said when he offered his protection. Sure Alcide had done what he could but it was Bill that had fought off all those that were lured to her, building a pile of goo around her as he fought off vamp after vamp to keep her safe.

Things could have gotten bad too for those at the BB and G if Bill had not summoned Jess and she in turn had alerted the others. James and Tara had fought valiantly too, Jason and Violet had been amongst the fray, and Andy had arrived with the rest of the Bon Temps sheriff's department, despite his reluctance to become involved in Bill and Sam's scheme. He knew he had an obligation as a civil servant to protect and did so valiantly.

When it was all over and everyone had been accounted for and were confirmed as being safe, and after Bill and Sam had called for a general town meeting on the following night to address the situation, he and the vamps had left with the thanks of all those bar two present ringing in their ears. Only Sookie and Alcide stood a little aside from the rest of the folks gathered, only they were silent when it came to praising their protectors. They stood there without a word as they watched those that had been at the gathering and had previously held back from choosing a partner now going about making their special thanks to uninfected vamps and asking for their protection. It wasn't long before they were the only ones there that had not arranged or accepted a vampire's protection at all. Neither of them won any friends that night, vampire or human. They had made a statement without saying a word and would have to live with it, for better or for worse but it was something that one day both of them would look back at with regret.

'But I thought that the threat was kind of under control?' she was asking at the mention of building an evacuation basement. 'Honey it is under control here in Bon Temps but that is only thanks to,' he hesitated, hating to admit that from what he had heard, Bill had done an outstanding job creating an almost a feudal barrier of safety around the small hamlet. He didn't know how he had done it but even the woods were safe from unwanted attacks of the hep vee virus infected vamps around the whole town. 'That is thanks to Bill,' he stated flatly, waiting to see her reaction.

Other areas such as Munroe were following suit with the same kind of defences that Bill had built up around the place but they did not have the organisational skills that Bill seemed to have or the same kind of vampire leadership. He had heard that Bill was doing his best to organise new sheriffs for areas throughout the state, even though technically the vampire hierarchy that had previously existed was now in tatters, and without the Authority to control things it looked like the only kind of leadership anywhere was coming from Bill, Alcide grudgingly acknowledged.

When she didn't respond he went on. 'Just promise me to be careful while I am away Sookie. Make sure you don't answer the door unless you know who it is and keep the stakes and the guns with the wooden bullets encased in silver, the special order ones that I got, keep them loaded and ready by both the front and back doors. Don't take any chances and ring me if there is any sign of trouble. I know that everything seems to be quiet at the moment but that doesn't mean that things can't change. Don't get complacent ok?' She nodded.

'I'll ring you tonight at seven on the dot.'


	7. Chapter 7

'Even at your best I never trusted you,' she had said, the words ran through Bill's mind like a broken record. Of all the harsh words that had been spoken between the two of them over the time that he had known her, Sookie's words that she had flung at him that night in the car park before the first major attack of infected vampires, those had done the most hurt to Bill. It hadn't stopped him though from fighting off the hordes that had swarmed around her, if anything he had thought that it would show her, prove to her finally that he had changed back to Bill Compton, Billith was gone, dead, evaporated into the ether like a ghostly spectre but when it was all over and it was clear from the way both her and Alcide had chosen not to embrace the camaraderie of the victors, that really it had changed nothing. He was not to be forgiven and it seemed that nothing he did would ever change her mind.

He had gone home alone that night and faced some home truths. From the moment he had met her, the only purpose in his existence had been to love her and protect her but he had to face facts. He had made mistakes, mistakes that it was very clear she would never forgive him for. He had a choice to make now. He could either go on as he had pinning all his hopes that one day she might forgive him, give him a second chance and maybe he could win her trust or… he could just give up, end it once and for all and move on with things.

He sat there for hour upon hour debating with himself the best thing to do for her and for him until finally the bleeds got so bad that when Jessica found him the next night still sitting there, she insisted that he go to ground and with James urging him too, he finally acquiesced. It took some time for him to finally admit to himself that he could not continue on as he had, always at her beck and call whenever it suited her, brushing him aside when all was right in her world. He had to regain some self-respect, even if it was only for Jess's sake. He owed it to her and so much more. He owed her and James everything and he knew he couldn't let either of them down. They had saved him.

So it was that he began to really throw himself into the hard task of gaining the upper hand with the hep V crisis. He was finding more and more that he was being called upon for guidance and not just from the local inhabitants either. With his book being a best seller, he had gained a lot of attention within political circles throughout the country. He was called upon frequently to be part of committees that were springing up in every state as the emergency spread. Until they found a way to eradicate either the virus itself or the carriers, they needed to formulate ways to protect themselves and they looked to Bill for that solution, Bon Temps being used as a role model for the successful establishment of a protective workable program.

He had even been called on to go to Washington to meet with a group of senators and this was despite the revelations of his actions towards Governor Burrell. Apparently it was well known in some circles, or at least suspected, that under Burrell's rule there had been wide spread corruption. Even though speculation was rife, a blind eye had been turned to any likely charges that Bill may have been facing under normal circumstances regarding how the Governor met his demise; after all, these were simply not normal circumstances.

It was at a press conference that he had first met Katie and she had approached him with the genesis of her idea to film a documentary. At first Bill was flattered but did not take it seriously. It was only after several emails when he got back home, a few long texts and a Skype session with her that he had finally agreed to it reluctantly, but only on the condition that the shoot not be centred around him but rather in and around Bon Temps and featuring all the combined efforts of the community as a whole. He wanted the focus to be community orientated. He felt that would be the only way for both uninfected vampires and humans to trust each other and to Bill that was an integral part of his plans for the future. He did not voice it but his greatest fear was the mutation of the virus into plague proportions that neither species would survive.

He had even covertly contacted Dr Tagahashi and implored him to do as much research as possible into anything that would identify and cure the hideous virus. Money was no object as he had the full backing of the Senators he was in contact with. Funding and also a laboratory were made available immediately. The doctor, having no recollection of his previous encounter with Bill, was more than happy to oblige with such a notable and well backed citizen as Mr Compton and so while his research began, Katie showed up in Bon Temps to commence filming and appeared to be totally charmed by Bill, and just as charmed by the little town and its inhabitants.

The first three days she was there she spent talking to Bill, getting to know him and discussing various points that he had made in his book. She had read it of course and was enthralled by his thoughts and philosophy. His observations were pertinent to society as a whole, his musings on the lack of soul in society and the pockets of like-minded individuals that band together when the need takes them were insightful and relevant. However it was the chapters relating to the loss of hope in the individual, where circumstances arise that leaves one without any choices bar the most opposite to a person's fundamental character, which she found hit home the most. Also his obvious feeling of disenfranchisement from society because of his fundamental physical differences and the observation that, although perceived to have so much power, basically vampires feel just as vulnerable as humans do, but have never been truthful about it, all hit home. That had her intrigued and struck a note of recognition deep inside her.

She was fascinated and could not get enough of talking to him. They talked for hours before even one single frame was shot. Intellectually they were on the same page both having reasons to cheer on the underdog. They shared an empathy for those that felt disengaged with society and they were both excited about the prospect that as dreadful as the virus and situation was, in some ways it had bought both species together, well here in Bon Temps at least, and unwittingly forced those that had been totally anti vampire before, they now had been forced to face the fact that they needed healthy strong vampires in their lives to protect them just as much as vampires realised they now had to treat humans with a mutual respect. It was a win – win situation.

Bill had told her of what the locals were calling the battle of the BB andG some six months earlier and how it had been a turning point in the relationship between even the most sceptical of vampire haters. It was a small step in the right direction, they both agreed, the night that Bill had shown up at the BB and G and introduced her around. And she had been impressed, so impressed that she had arranged to meet some of the locals there the next day to begin her interviews and commence filming.

That was the night that Bill had seen Sookie close up for the first time in months. She had looked thinner, much thinner and didn't have the tan that she normally had. She looked different, more care worn he thought, not the bubbling girl that he had first met. It rather shocked him to see her like that but it wasn't for him to judge, he had let that go along with his feelings for her.

Apart from the one glance across when he had heard her voice as she spoke to Arlene, he somehow had managed to keep himself focussed on Katie and the task at hand, which was winning over the inhabitants as much as he could so that they would be willing participants in her documentary. He found that he didn't really have to try too hard though. Apart from the fact that every man and his dog wanted to get to meet her and be on 'TV' as they put it, he had been really touched that so many of them had made their feelings known to her that they would do anything that Vampire Bill wanted them to do. In fact poor Katie was quite inundated by the amount of patrons that continued to bale her up throughout the night, all singing Bill's praises. In their books he could do no wrong, everyone from Lafayette to Big John made sure to have a word with her and tell her how much they all felt they owed to him, everyone including Arlene.

Much to Bill's amusement, Arlene had agreed to allow a camera crew to film at the BB and G and graciously condescended to participate too, as long as the bar got favourable coverage she would be in anything she said, but she fooled no one. For the longest time now she had been like a puppy around Bill. She adored him now. Between the fact that he had paid his proper respects to her as a grieving widow and also that had he been there and saved the bar that night from the attack, he kept the town safe to boot, and he was drop dead gorgeous so she now would hear no wrong about him from anyone.

It did make things a little frosty at times with her as had happened that night that Katie first came in but that was her own fault, she shouldn't have gotten into her head she thought. How many times had she warned her over the years and eaves droppers never hear anything good about themselves she reasoned justifiably in her own mind?

All in all, Bill thought as he drove Katie back to his place that night, things had gone remarkably well considering. They had gone remarkably well except for one thing, he hadn't expected to see her and that is what it always came back to…. Sookee.


	8. Chapter 8

Alcide had left to go to Munroe and Sookie was busied herself doing her chores before going in to work. She had tidied up the kitchen and changed the bed. She put the washer on and straightened up the living room. She had even had time to go out and pull a few weeds that were threatening Gran's precious rose bed but now, with an hour or two to kill, she was at a loss with what to do with herself. Falling into her old habits, she dragged out her sun lounge and she hurriedly changed into her good old reliable spotted bikini top and cut off shorts then went out to grab a bit of sunshine.

She hadn't slept that well the night before so it was no wonder that she fell asleep almost straight away under the warm sun. Without knowing why, she found herself suddenly standing on the front steps of Bill's house, the paint peeling and looking shabby as it had when she had first met him. The day was just as sunny and warm as it had been back then too and she could smell the fragrance of the heat soaked garden wafting up under the shade of the porch as she stepped up to the old double doors and peered into the side window.

The hallway was splashed in patches of gloom, its walls splotched with mildew and damp but it had the same old world charm that she had felt the very first time that she had gone there. She was reminded of those heady days when visiting her newly met vampire had been a thrilling experience and the effect on her was palpable, her body gave a sudden throb of desire and her heart began to race. Despite it being broad daylight, the door opened and suddenly Bill stood in front of her gazing at her with softened eyes and smiling that small smile of loving and longing that had always made her feel so comforted and safe.

He threw the doors open wide and held out his arms to her, his eyes shining at the sight of her as she melted into his embrace. She was overwhelmed by the feeling of coming home, the sensation of finding peace after being adrift for so very long in a wilderness of unchartered territory. She sighed with contentment and relaxed for the first time in so long. She had missed him more than she could ever put into words. She was where she should be, where she belonged and she finally knew it. She was home.

She woke with a start and sat up looking around her blinking. Oh shoot, she thought to herself disorientated, she had fallen into a deep sleep and was probably going to be late for work. Jumping up she raced in to the house and glanced at the kitchen clock, relieved to find that she had only been asleep for a short time and still had time to get ready and get to work without too much hassle. It was only when she reached the end of her drive and checked the road to make sure that it was clear to turn when she looked to the left, towards where the road ran passed Bill's place, and that was when she was engulfed with thoughts of her dream.

All the way to work and even when she got there and wandered into the small back office that had once been Sam's domain, she was lost in a fog of remembrance. She kept seeing the double doors opening and Bill standing there in front of her, the look on his face, in his eyes as they gazed into hers. Recalling the heady fragrance of him, the one that only Bill smelt like when they held each other close and she was cocooned in his presence, it was only then that she let herself fully acknowledge how very much she had missed him. That slightly salty tang mixed with the subtle aroma of cologne and his essence, it threw her back to those first nights of lust, passion and love and made her long for him on so many levels.

This is ridiculous she thought to herself in a futile attempt to snap out of it but still unable to shake herself free of the feelings boiling within her, it just won't do.

She tried to busy herself with paper work for the next couple of hours but her mind wasn't in it, she couldn't concentrate and knew that she was making a total mess of everything that she attempted to do. When she finally gave up she then turned her attention to sorting out the store room but all she managed to do was spend a lot of energy moving boxes from one shelf to another and not really accomplishing very much at all except some rearranging that she didn't really need to do, if truth be told.

Thinking that the day was moving on and she was getting nowhere, she went back to the office to finish the paper work but it was now obvious that everything that she did was going to be a complete waste of her time. Her mind was elsewhere. In fact all she had on her mind was a pair of stunningly mesmerising blue eyes and the feel of a taut body pulling her into an embrace. She sighed frustrated.

Pushing her chair away from the old wooden desk, she got up and wandered out to the bar. As she passed the kitchen Lafayette called out a cheery hello but when she turned to look at him he raised his eyebrows. 'Sugar you are sure looking mighty worn out. Is that wolf of yours burning your candle at both ends? You look like you could do with a good make over girl, my my,' he shook his head thoughtfully with concern on his face. 'You gotta get your act together bitch or you sure aren't going to get a certain vamp back or keep that wolf interested either girl.'

Her mouth dropped open and her brows furrowed together in annoyance but before she had a chance to retaliate in any way Arlene came hurrying over to her bubbling and full of such excitement that anyone would have thought she had won the lottery. As she walked towards her, Sookie noticed that Arlene was dressed in her very best what she termed "Sunday impress the hell out of everyone" clothes. Not only that but her hair was carefully styled and her make-up was, well for Arelene, it was looking pretty good, not too over done but enough to make her look like she was more than well groomed. She even had a necklace and matching earrings on and her nails were perfectly manicured.

'Sookie I want you,' but as Sookie turned to look at her, Arlene stopped and stared straight at her. 'Are you alright, you look dreadful. What's the matter, you can tell me,' she urged. She didn't mean to but being upset her guard was down and Arlene's thoughts just rolled straight into her head. 'I bet that seeing Bill last night really got to her,' Arlene was thinking, 'I can't understand why she would ever have let him slip away from her. It was so obvious that he loved her desperately and well, I thought that she loved him too, even if it wasn't as much and not in the same way. She is looking like an unmade bed today. That Alcide just doesn't seem to be the answer to her heart. The heart wants what it wants and she sure must have a place in it still for Bill otherwise she wouldn't be looking so miserable.' Arlene's thoughts came across loud and clear.

Sookie fought hard to hold back tears as she stood there with Arlene's opinions rolling over her. They struck at her like a cold knife to her heart and so did Lafayette's. Coming on top of the feelings that her dream had stirred up, she was on the edge and in danger of going over it. She didn't feel right in her own skin. She was doing things on automatic pilot and felt like she was in a daze. Anyone would think that the dream and Bill had glamoured her, she felt so out of sorts and confused.

'I am fine,' she responded quickly, 'really it's just that I didn't get enough sleep, that's all, honest,' she lied, surprising herself with how cool she sounded compared to the way that she felt inside. 'Well if you say so,' Arlene smiled a little doubtfully. She wasn't convinced but for once she tried hard to keep her mind blank in an attempt to protect her from her real thoughts, her mind going back to the previous night and her gaff that had caused her friend pain. 'I have someone that I want you to meet, you aren't going to believe it but Katie Holmes is here and wants to do a piece on us all. Isn't that just great?'

She was smiling again with the carefree attitude of someone that doesn't really give too much credence to dwelling on things and expects the same from others that they know. It wasn't that Arlene didn't care for her friend, it was more like because she didn't dwell on her own feelings or anything much at all that she expected the same from others. She prided herself on believing that she just got on with things, pretty much like she did after Terry died and she came into her money. It was an opportunity and she grabbed it with both hands when Sam ran for office and decided it wouldn't be right to keep running the bar and trying to give the office he had undertaken his full attention. 'Yep,' Arlene had thought to herself, 'one door closes and a window opens.'

So here she was now owner of Merlottes and doing a pretty dam good job of it if she did say so herself. She had money in the bank, the kids were doing well at school and she had a tutor to help them out and she was a pillar of society to boot, well in her own mind at least. Even the vamp situation that had scared the bejesus out of her was under control and because of it and the efforts of Bill and Sam, Bon Temps was considered such a safe haven that there was an influx of visitors and new people moving in so business was booming. Everything in her garden was rosy. And now the icing on the cake was Katie Holmes wanting to film a documentary and my, she was even going to interview her. She was going to be on TV!

Oh great, Sookie thought to herself, that is just what she needed right now like a hole in the head. To meet and have to talk to Bill's new girlfriend, that is sure how she thought of Katie judging by the way that they were getting along last night. She knew Bill well enough to know that he could be so charming when he wanted to be and she just bet that he was being his most Southern gentleman vampire charming self with Katie. She mentally shook herself at that thought. For a fleeting moment she knew that she was being so unkind to him thinking that way. Bill had always been nice. He was genuinely nice to everyone really. She wasn't being fair to him but she couldn't help it. Even though she had been so very bitter towards him, said so many hateful and cruel things, she admitted to herself that it really hurt her heart seeing him last night with Katie, and it had given her a surprising wake up call. And now, now after the dream she had she was going to have to meet the very woman that she thought was the new love of his life.

This was turning into one depressing day she considered as she stood there lost to her thoughts.


	9. Chapter 9

'Sookie,' Arlene's voice seemed to come from miles away. 'Sookie, girl!' It was only when Arlene almost shouted at her that she snapped out of where ever she had been. 'Sookie this is Katie, Katie this is Sookie Stackhouse.' Putting on her biggest smile that she reserved for all the customers, the one that she dragged out whenever things were unpleasant but she had to fake it to get through, she half turned and gazed at Katie.

'So you are Sookie?' Katie said, looking into her face as though searching for something. 'I have heard a lot about you.' Her words immediately got Sookie's attention. Why would she have heard a lot about her she was thinking when she suddenly realised of course, she probably had heard of crazy Sookie, who hadn't, but then something in Katie's face and her searching eyes made her think again. Almost without realising she was doing it, she projected out and into the other's mind.

'She looks so sweet and earnest, who would have thought….' Sookie could read her clearly, her thoughts sharp and focussed. 'I am just so sorry, poor Bill.' An image instantly sprang into her head. In front of her was Bill, cradled in Katie's arms, sobbing with hurt, face bloodied with tears. She gasped at the sight of him and the pain that he was clearly feeling. The image promptly disappeared as a look of comprehension flooded Katie's face and she closed off her mind. Shaking her head she abruptly turned away, leaving Sookie standing there red faced with shame.

Without a word to Arlene, she walked back to the office, closed the door and locked it. She slumped down in the old leather chair that had been there in the corner since before she had even started working at Merlottes. It was comfortable and soothing to the turmoil that was going through her head, something from the days when she was just a waitress working for Sam and Bon Temps hadn't got its very first vampire. A relic from the past that didn't hurt, didn't give her any pain when everything else now seemed to remind her of what she had previously had and what she didn't have now. Everything seemed to be telling her it was her own fault.

Without realising it, she sat there for hours simply staring into space wondering what she could have done differently and if she had her time again would she, would she really change anything. All the mistakes, all the damaging words spoken in anger, in vengeance, in cold hard biting hurt that tears at your heart like hers had been torn through. Could she have done it better, could she do it better now? What could she do to heal her wounded heart and… It was only when Arlene was knocking on the door that the endless torment she was putting herself through stopped momentarily and she finally looked around to realise that it was now late afternoon and time that she headed home.

Home, home to an empty house and an empty heart her head told her. She made her hurried goodbyes to Arlene and not wanting to face anyone else, she quietly left via and back door. When she got in she realised that she hadn't eaten since breakfast and even then she really had only picked at her food. Her stomach gave a growl at the thought and she went to the kitchen and made herself a sandwich of leftover meatloaf from the day before then she fixed herself a long glass of iced peach tea. The day was still hot as the sun wouldn't be down for another hour or so and she thirstily gulped down cool mouthfuls of her drink but she barely picked at her food. As hungry as she was, everything seemed to be getting stuck in the lump in her throat as her thoughts kept going back to her dream and the visions of Bill she had seen in Katie's mind.

The phone rang and she jumped out of her skin, she had been so far away in her own mind that the noise had been an alien interruption to the thoughts in her head. She looked at the clock and knew it must be Alcide ringing as it was a few minutes to seven and he had told her he would ring her. True to his word it was him on the phone. He had been having dramas with the new build and sounded hot and irritable. He told her that it may take longer than he had budgeted for and that the pouring of the foundations were going to be delayed as there had been trouble with an attack on the site that had been making the concrete. He sounded dog tired to her ears and hungry and in need of a cool shower and a long sleep, so they said their goodnights and promised to speak again tomorrow.

It was one of those conversations that make you realise that you are further apart than just in miles she was thinking as she washed up her plate and glass and wiped down the kitchen bench before standing gazing out the window at the late summer sky. Bright pastel apricot hues stretched out into infinity as she looked out over the lawn to the tree line that she suddenly felt beckoning her. Suddenly more than anything she wanted to talk to Grans, to be comforted by her loving arms, hear her soft speech that always made her feel that she counted for something and that she was worthwhile.

Drying her hands she slipped out the back door and quickly sped through the garden and down the semi over grown path that she had trodden so many times in the past, the path that led through the cemetery and on to Bill's house.

Even though she was hurrying, by the time that she came to Grans resting place dusk was upon her, spreading purple tendrils of darkness across the edges of her horizon but right at that moment that meant nothing to her as she knelt down and touched the outline of the engraving on the tombstone. 'Oh Grans,' her voice sighed in barely a whisper, 'I have made a mess of things.' She promptly burst into tears sitting there sobbing quietly as the darkness descended over her with its inky curtain spangled with shimmering pin points of stars.

She knelt on the ground with her forehead pressed against the cold marble as though Adele's life force may seep through and touch her, warm her hurting heart. She stayed like that, her legs going numb and her body chilled in the thin summer dress that she had changed into when she had come home. Ironically it was the same one that she had been wearing that terrible night she had come to the cemetery when she thought that Bill had been burnt in the fire over at Munroe, the one that she had on when they had what she always thought of as cemetery sex. Right now though, that was the last thing on her mind. Her mind was as numb as her legs were. There was no feeling left in her. She just wanted some solace in her life and wasn't finding it anywhere she had previously always received it.

Voices in the distance broke into her thoughts as she looked around slowly and saw lights in the distance, over in the oldest part of the cemetery. Despite herself and the way she was feeling she was curious. What was going on, who would be out in the darkness and what were they doing she was wondering. She got up slowly, rubbing feeling back into her legs and brushing off bits of twigs and dried grass before cautiously making her way towards the lights.

With a shock as she walked in the direction that she could hear the voices, she realised that they were coming from somewhere near Bill's resting place, his human resting place that is. She knew it so well, she used to go there regularly and tend it for him. She didn't know why but it gave her comfort to think that he was remembered not just now as a vampire but for who had been. a soldier of the south, a loving husband and beloved father. He had never said anything to her but she knew that he knew she did it and she always had the feeling that it touched him deeply, so deeply in fact that he couldn't talk about it. Or maybe it was just that he didn't think she would be receptive to what he had to say.  
He was right. There were so many things that were left unsaid between them, that she had never cared to hear or bother to understand. And now, now she couldn't say any of them or hear any of them. She sighed. There seemed to be so many things that he was right about she was discovering.

As she followed the overgrown trail she rounded a tree and stopped. The voices were now close enough to make out what they were saying. Dodging behind a tree about fifteen feet away, she paused and listened while peeking around the side. She saw Bill. Standing close to Bill, Katie was holding a microphone between them and she had just finished asking him about his family ties to the area and what it was like to be home, the camera man discreetly panning down to take footage of not only Bill's headstone but also Caroline's set next to it.

Katie noticed that Bill's speech had become accented, more….what was the way she put it in her own mind… more "Old South" as he stood there and had hastily looked down on the graves and looked away.

'That's a wrap Jon,' she motioned to her camera man to stop filming and she gently put her hand on Bill's shirt sleeve asking him quietly if he was alright. He gave a small nod but she knew better and as he mumbled something that Sookie didn't catch, she picked up her bag, helped Jon with the lighting and then they both moved off down the path in the direction of Bill's homestead leaving him standing next to his grave looking away into the distance, unseeing all around him but walking through his previous life like a ghost.

'You can come out,' Bill's voice was clear and directed at Sookie, 'she has gone now.'


	10. Chapter 10

There was no use in pretending that she wasn't there, Bill was vampire and no fool so she stepped out from behind the tree and walked towards him. 'What are you doing here?' he asked her quietly. Now that she was standing there so close to him and she was finally on her own, she felt shy and was reluctant to speak. He sighed. 'Don't you know that you of all people shouldn't be out without protection? How many times have I told you that you have to be…?' He stopped and looked away, realising that it was no longer any concern of his, nor did he have the right to tell her what she should or shouldn't do. And anyway, she wouldn't listen to him, she never had. 'I am surprised Alcide would let you out without his looking out for you,' he said this not as a criticism, merely an observation, keeping his voice neutral.

Finally finding her voice she responded quickly. 'He doesn't know, he's away in Munroe on a job building a shelter.' His eyebrows rose in surprise. He should have known that the Wolf was nowhere around, as much as he didn't particularly have a fondness for him, he did grudgingly respect him up to a point, and knew that he did care for Sookie. 'I don't think that he would be too pleased that you are out wandering around at night Sookie.'

"Sookee," it was the way that he said it, it was always the way that he said her name, it was like an aphrodisiac to her. She licked her lips and stepped closer to him saying nothing, just staring at him. He looked away again to hide the fact that he had to grit his teeth and he ground his hands into fists in his pockets. He could smell her. He could smell the sunlight on her skin. It threw him back to that first time, the night on his lawn when had felt how soft her hair was, when the moonlight turned it to a shimmering silver halo around her and she had pulled him into her kiss, her sweetness mesmerising and glamouring him. 'Come on, I will walk you home,' he said gruffly, trying desperately to control his voice. She nodded, unable to speak.

Her heart skipped a beat as he stepped forward to stand next to her side and began to walk in the general direction of her home but she hesitated a little before moving, silently looking down at his headstone. Unwelcome tears sprang to her eyes as she thought of all that he had lost, overwhelmed by the feeling of sadness that permeated through her and she glanced at his face. 'Don't Sookie, just don't.'

Silently she turned and began to walk with him, no words were spoken between them on their way back and it wasn't until they came out on her lawn and walked up to her porch that she spoke, breaking the silence. 'Would you like to come in?' she asked querulously. He hesitated for a split second, catapulted back to the first time that he had stood there on the same porch and had explained that he had to be invited in before he could enter. Not for the first time he cursed himself for allowing himself to look back in regret. Regret and remorse for his previous actions, regret and remorse for the fact that things hadn't been different, that they hadn't met under normal circumstances and had a normal life, normal chances of making something of their lives and their love together. He couldn't do this, not again.

'Thank you but no. I must be going.' She looked at him, all the old feelings that she thought had been so long buried in hurt and hate suddenly came rushing back to her again. She suddenly knew that there was nothing more important in her whole life than to make things right between them, to find one another again. 'Please,' she almost pleaded, 'please you don't have to rush off do you?' If he was surprised by her question he didn't show it, she was not the only one that had learnt the hard way to put up a mask on their face. 'I have to go Sookie.' She had a sudden surge of panic run through her. This might be her only chance and it was slipping away from her. She may never get the opportunity to be alone with him again. 'But Bill I … won't you just, couldn't we just…'

'Sookie I was offering you my protection walking you home, that was all, nothing else,' he said looking at her with a sorrowful expression that scared her. 'But Bill I thought that,' ….. 'What did you think,' he uncharacteristically interrupted her with a look of comprehension; he could read her like a book, 'that I would throw myself at you again to have my heart cut to pieces? I am done with that now. I have done that before, so many times before', he sighed quietly, 'and I can't and won't do it again. You made your choices and have told me often enough that you have no feelings left for me, that you never trusted me, well finally Sookie, finally I believe you.'

'I admit that it has taken me a while, quite a while to see that, and I apologise for my unrequited love, but I can assure you it won't happen again. I still foolishly consider a fragment of me to be a man, and as a man I couldn't apologise more for my actions and the hurt that I caused you. As a vampire' he frowned, stressing the word the word with reluctance but also, she noted, with a pride that previously had been missing, 'as vampire I had no need to apologise as I am sure you realise that we don't feel the requirement to but…' he shrugged, 'against my nature I did. I did everything that I could to try to make amends for all the hurts I had caused you but it was never enough and I understand that.'

She went cold at his words. She hadn't expected this. In fact it was the last thing that she had been expecting. Suddenly it felt like her whole world had come crashing down around her. 'But, but Bill you said that no matter even if we weren't together you would always love me and protect me, that I had awoken something in you,' she was crying now, tears streaming down her face, 'you said that I was the love of your life.'

He looked at her sadly. She really was just such a child, a poor child clutching at a toy that was broken and wanted it to be whole and new again. 'Sookie, you didn't want that and you didn't want me and now you have changed your mind? Well even the most patient and adoring saints can't go on forever being brushed aside like "a discarded chicken bone" without one day saying enough is enough, and I am no saint as you have pointed out so often.' She was cringing at the reminder, hurting at the memories of past conversations that now haunted her. 'I just can't do it and still have some shred of self-respect left,' he went on. 'No Sookie, I am done. I am spent waiting for you to grow up. I waited for so very long for you to come to me, for you to see that I have been here all along, waiting in the shadows, but now I am tired and I have spent everything during that long wait. I have nothing left to give.'

'You will always have my heart, you cut your teeth on it but I can't and won't give you my soul or what is left of it.' He took her hand and kissed it gently then dropping it to her side, he turned and walked away without looking back.

'It's her isn't it?' she called after him, 'it's Katie!' He stopped and turned, looking at her with so much pity on his face. 'I have a chance at a new beginning, something that we never really had, that you… didn't really ever trust in. Katie trusts me. That is the difference Sookie, she has never doubted me from the moment we met. I loved you from that very first night that you came out into the car park and saved me. I loved the bravery of you, your courage and compassion. I thought that we were alike, that we shared the same home truths but Sookie, I was mistaken. I have hurt you and I have paid dearly for those hurts. I don't want to go on hurting you and getting hurt again, I just don't have it in me.'

He was lying of course but he didn't want her to know the truth. He knew that once and for all he had to get out of her life. He had to keep away from her. He was resigned to it now and he knew that she would never understand if he said to her that for as long as he existed she would always doubt him and find him untrustworthy simply because of what he was, he was vampire and nothing could change that. She simply would never trust vampires and he didn't blame her for that, hadn't he warned her so long ago, so with the help of Katie he had created the illusion that they were a couple when in reality she had a girlfriend waiting for her back home. Unlike Bill and the vampires, Katie lacked the courage to come out.

From the moment that Katie had come to Bon Temps to film a documentary based on Bill and his story, she had been intrigued by him. He was smart, well educated, well-travelled and even if he had not been vampire, he would have made a fascinating person to interview and get to know. So it was not surprising that in the course of the first couple of days that she spent with him filming that they had developed a great rapport. They shared similar interests and were passionate about the same things. In fact it was during a conversation about vampire rights and Bill's description of the visions he had seen whilst under the influence of Lilith that she broke down in tears.

She related so much to the persecution of the vampires. As a child she had always felt different to the norm and had suffered for it at school and at home, even though the story given out by her PR people had everyone believing that she came from a totally loving upper middle class family. The real story was something quite different. Her parents were ardent church goers that found her traits to be abhorrent and had taken to trying to beat them out of her as a young impressionable teenager. When that had not worked, rather than have her around home they had shipped her off to boarding school taking the attitude out of sight, out of mind.

When Katie had finally graduated, rather than go back to the mid-west town she came from to be yet a further embarrassment to her folks, they had paid for a college education so once again they had little or nothing to do with her, the minute she graduated she had picked up a position with a small affiliate TV channel of a rather large conglomerate and spent the next five years working her arse off to get to where she was now.

She had not told a single soul about her real background, instead inventing what she hoped was a creditable tissue of lies to cover up for the shame of being an outcast in society. Or that was how she saw herself. Under the circumstances she could feel empathy with vampires and their predicament and wanted to do something about it. That was what she had found so attractive in Bill. She had never had a relationship with a man, that wasn't her thing but in Bill she found someone that she could unburden herself to and who was sympathetic to her situation. When she came out to Bill he sat holding her in his arms whilst she sobbed her eyes out. They both had something in common; neither felt that they quite fitted in the eyes of society despite all the equality being sprouted by politicians and in the media.

If Bill bought out something in Katie then she likewise gained his trust with her story and he found himself unburdening all the past years of angst to her. He had agreed he would never betray her secret unless she gave her permission and in return she had agreed to help him once and for all free himself of Sookie.

So it was that he had led her to believe that he had found a chance of peace with Katie, a desperate lie that he hoped she would fall for. The fact that she did made it all the worse for him as it once and for all proved to him that she really still did not trust him and that was when he knew that he did have to let go for his own sake. She didn't see the tears on his face, the pain that wracked through him and his cold dead heart, she didn't know because he was gone in the blink of an eye without turning back, leaving her standing there totally bereft.

In all the darkest hours of her life, this was a new depth that she had been plunged into. When she had been hurting so badly after Grans death she had managed to get through it but that was because Bill was there, he helped her to go on. Then when she had been so mortally wounded by what she saw as the revelation of his betrayal she had Eric, even though he had amnesia, for a short time she had him as a distraction to ease the pain. Sam too had mostly always been in the back ground as a rock to lean on and then Alcide. But now, now that worst hurt of all, the one thing that she had only just realised that she had always had there in the shadows, Bill's love, now it was gone and she was alone, totally and miserably alone with no hope and no going back. There was nothing, nothing left for her. Not even Jason would really commiserate with her now, nor Tara, Jessica, Pam… even Arlene or Sam.

She had no one. She was absolutely on her own for the first time in her life, well all most; she suddenly remembered that she still had Alcide.


	11. Chapter 11

A persistent knocking awakened Sookie from the fitful sleep she had finally fallen into only to be engulfed in dreams so dark that she would have been better off awake. She had been dreaming of walking through the cemetery frantically looking for something but she didn't know what. Panic had started to over whelm her and she began to run. She didn't know what she was running from and she didn't know what she was searching for but she knew if she could only find it then everything would be alright. Fear gripped her as she ran stumbling through the undergrowth of the oldest part of the cemetery, dark shadows reaching out to grip her like frightening spectres of ghostly shapes, the tendrils of overgrown shrubbery reached out to tangle her in branches impeding every step forward.

Then suddenly the dream shifted and ahead she saw a pin prick of light. If she could reach it then she would be safe, she knew that she would. Again the dream shifted and she was suddenly standing on a grassy lawn, silver moonlight bathing the scene with its magic. She looked around with a gradual recognition of her surroundings, a familiarity that tugged at her heart strings. She was standing on Bill's lawn in front of his house the way it had been when they met and all was deathly silent except for the soft sobbing of a woman's voice.

She stood perfectly still and yet she somehow found herself gliding over the smooth grass, up the front porch steps and coming to an abrupt halt at the old double front doors standing closed, barring her way. A burst of clarity hit her like a thunderbolt, coming from somewhere deep within her, repressed for so long but now bursting through her like a ray of light.

If she could only go in, if she could only find Bill then everything would be alright, she would be safe and he would make everything better again. He would take her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her and she would feel at peace but instead the doors opened silently and stood like a gaping black hole, a thing of fear and dread.

The sound of sobbing was louder. It was terrible to hear with its heartfelt sorrow. A new fear now gripped Sookie, the dawning of a thought so hideous creeping through the back of her mind that she couldn't bear to even acknowledge it and she knew if she stepped over the threshold of the doorway then there would be no going back, that her fears would become a reality and she couldn't bear it. She was rooted to the spot unable to do anything more than barely breathe so crushing was the dread that rippled through her.

Then just as it sometimes happens in dreams the scene changed yet again. She had not moved and yet there she was standing in Bill's sitting room, the walls with their faded and peeling wall paper, shabby red velvet sofas standing as they always had, the piano over to the side of the room battered and unpolished, the chair that he had sat in the night she had come to visit and Diane, Liam and the rest had shown her a glimpse of the cruelty nesting vampires could demonstrate all shattered her mind with the memory. But this time Bill wasn't sitting in the shadows of the corner, this time everything was different for there in front of her, kneeling on the floor, was Jessica.

Her heart froze at the sight of her blood stained face with tears streaking down her cheeks and dripping on the floor as she knelt next to a pile of bloodied viscera. Slowly Jessica's blood shot eyes turned up to look at Sookie with so much accusation that she felt that she had been slapped in the face by the powerful emotions the other wore.

She looked her up and down and opened her mouth, fangs fully drawn, and with a look of pure hatred on her face. Icy venom such that Sookie had never heard from Jess poured through her speech. 'You killed him. You could have saved him but you killed him. He sacrificed himself and his love for you to save us all because you threw his love and goodness away, taking his will to go on, leaving him with nothing, no hope or dreams to exist for… and it killed him.'

Total and absolute horror consumed Sookie just as much as grief and loss submerged Jess into a dark pit of despair. 'I hate you Sookie Stackhouse. Get out, get out now before I drain you. Humans always hurt the ones that they love,' she sobbed again and looked away. Sookie fled, she ran as she had never run before but now, now she knew…there was no safe place to run to.

Bleary and disorientated, still shaking from the horror of her dream, she grabbed her wrap and struggled into it as she made her way to the door, peeping through the curtains at the side before opening it. Andy Bellefleur was standing looking hot and bothered on her front porch as he waited for her to answer his knocking.

Oh no, this can't be good she mused as she fumbled with the extra locks that Alcide had added for their protection. What the fuck has Jason done now. The thought pulled her up, no it wouldn't be something Jason had done as he was now a respectable pillar of the law enforcement community. So what the hell was Andy doing on her porch this early in the morning she wondered?

'Sookie,' Andy acknowledged when she finally got the door open, 'sorry to call on you this early.' He was looking extremely uncomfortable and clearly wishing that he was anywhere but there. 'Come in Andy, what can I do for you? Would you like a cup of coffee, I am just going to make one. Sorry I was asleep when you knocked and you woke me.' She let him in and pattered her way through to the kitchen, filling the coffee pot and getting out two cups, all the while Andy stood there watching her and looking awkward.

'Ok Andy,' she said finally sitting down sliding a mug across the table at him as she sat down and sipped hers, 'so what's this all about then?' He stared down at the steam rising up from his coffee, a memory of standing in the door way of this same room staring down at the bloodied corpse of her beloved grandmother stirred in his mind. Hell life could be so random. There were some days that he just hated his job.

'Gees Sookie, I really hate to be the bearer of bad news but…' he hesitated, cleared his throat, went to speak again and stopped. 'Andy what is it?' She braced herself, not having any idea what it was that he was going to say. What bad news could there be after all, she had lost just about everyone that she had ever cared for already, including Bill a small voice at the back of her head reminded her painfully.

'There was an incident over at Munroe last night. A bunch of infected vamps attacked Joe McNamara the night watchman at the construction site that Alcide was working at. Alcide got wind of it and with Hank White his foreman, and Jesse Skyler one of the sub-contractors, they went there to try to protect Joe but it was too late.' He blurted all this out in a rush, not pausing for breath, but now he seemed to falter in his speech as he swallowed and ran out of steam anticipating her reaction as she stared at him totally unsuspecting and unprepared for his next words.

'Well that's too bad Andy but what's that got to do with me?' 'Well Sookie it's like this,' he coughed, cleared his throat, looked anywhere but at her face and just got on with it. 'Alcide and the others managed to do a fair bit of damage to the vamps but a group of them broke away and fled. Now you know Alcide, he's not one to leave things unfinished and before the others could stop him he took off after them.' She raised her eyebrows, 'And?' she questioned.

'The herd of vamps that attacked, they were only a part of a larger group that had been hanging back on the outskirts of town Sookie. When Alcide went running after them he ran straight into the middle of a large pack of them. If it's any consolation Sookie, he must have put a good fight before they drained him, there were pools of goo all over the place.'  
She stared at him unable to comprehend what he was saying. She just sat there staring at him, a vacant look in her eyes as she tried to take in what he had just told her. This so can't be happening, she thought, it just can't be happening. She didn't even flinch at Andy's inappropriate lack of tact when he mentioned piles of goo.

'Sookie, Alcide is dead, they drained him honey and left him for dead.' God dam it he was thinking, why doesn't she just say something or cry or throw a hissie fit, dam it all to hell. 'There wasn't too much left of him Sookie but if there is anyone that you want me to call to help you make arrangements you have my number, just give me a yell out.' He didn't want to leave her like this but he had more things to do and he just wanted to get out of there, Sookie's silence was giving him the horrors.

'Thanks Andy, its fine. I'll be alright thank you.' She was talking like someone in her sleep. He had asked her if there was anyone that she wanted him to call but truth be told, there was no one,she had no one.

She really was totally alone now and it was not a place that she suddenly realised that she wanted to be.


	12. Chapter 12

'I suppose you heard what happened in Munroe last night?' Sam's blue eyes were studying Bill's face with interest. Of course it was all over Bon Temps that Bill had a new girlfriend but somehow Sam felt that there was something that didn't quite jell with that story so he was interested to gauge Bill's reaction to the demise of Alcide.

They were in Sam's office at the William and Caroline Compton Municipal Shire Office building, paid for and erected with Bill's funding. It was just another contribution to his beloved Bon Temps that had gone a long way to endearing him to the residents of the villager's hearts. They met regularly, at least two times a week if not more, whenever possible, and when Bill's time allowed. He was so much in demand these days that Jessica had become his assistant so that when he was interstate on matters pertaining to the issue at hand, namely how to resolve the current crisis, if he wasn't available then Jessica would fill in.

Just like Bill she too was fast becoming a well-respected pillar of the community and she was indispensable to Bill. Her relationship with James had grown and she in turn had grown. Bill looked at her with pride as she sat quietly gauging how he would respond to Sam's comment. She knew in her heart of hearts that regardless of what he and Katie might be showing to the outside world, deep within Bill nothing would ever diminish his love for Sookie and it hurt her. She sighed and closed her mind to the injustice of existence.

Bill's face was like a mask of hidden depths that even to Sam's astute judgement was impenetrable. 'I will be sending some recruits over to Munroe later tonight to try to find the pack of infected that were responsible,' he said coolly keeping his voice even. 'Munroe have been slow to take up previous offers of help but have now learnt the hard way it seems and are now willing to set up a perimeter and take all the necessary steps to embrace our program. They don't want any further trouble and realise that this is about the only way that works. Our recruits are coming up from New Orleans and should arrive sometime around eleven tonight. Until then Munroe is on high alert for another attack.'

Sam nodded. 'Some people just learn the hard way don't they Bill?' 'Yes,' Bill said with a touch of bitterness in his voice. Despite his best intentions there were times that frustration got the better of him. It was so unnecessary that things had gone the way they had in Munroe, they had been offered help months ago but had refused, still burying their heads in the sand and refusing to embrace the one vamp to every human policy. Now they had paid the price and so had Alcide.

'I have heard that even though he was no longer part of the pack and was a lone wolf, out of respect to his father, Alcide's former pack were baying for blood,' Sam casually commented, 'they are no friends of mine mind you, but they might be able to be used as back up if there was a serious invasion.' Bill considered this statement with deference to Sam being a member of the shifter community and a good friend.

Jessica spoke now for the first time. 'Sam you know that the Weres only seem to inflame things, no offense.' 'No offence taken Jess I was just meaning that if things got too sticky over there a bit of help wouldn't go astray. I know that there has been a long time animosity between shifters and vamps but these days if humans and vamps can get along with each other maybe it's time that Weres and vamps did too. I will be going over to Shreveport on Wednesday night for a meeting with the new pack master and we will see what they have to say. I think it came as a real shock to them that someone as strong as Alcide could be over powered and taken. It has really shaken them up by the sound of things from what I hear.'

'Is there anything else that we need to go over Sam?' Bill asked as he looked at the time. 'No, well yes actually, it's not a business matter as such but,' Sam hesitated, would he be pushing their friendship too far if he even broached the subject but he ploughed on regardless. 'What is it Sam?' Bill asked but he knew instinctively what the shifter had on his mind. 'Look Bill, you can tell me to mind my own business but you and I go back away now and well, we share a few things in common so please don't get mad at me,' he looked Bill right in the eye before going on. 'Bill what about Sookie?'

Bill's face went blank again. It wasn't a cold look of hatred, Sam was relieved to see, but if anything Bill wore an indifference to the matter over him like a protective shield Sam thought. 'You know that she is out at the house unprotected now and is a magnet for vampires. She shouldn't be on her own. She should come in to town and stay with friends,' Sam sighed. 'I know that she should,' he went on with something like exasperation in his voice. 'I have offered for her to come over and stay with us, even with the baby I still have a spare room she is welcome to but you know Sookie, she is stubbornly independent,' he stopped and looked at Jess and them back at Bill's face.

'That she is Sam,' Bill sighed as he got up and made no further comment. 'Is there anything else that we need to go over tonight Sam, I really need to be going?' Sam shook his head, the golden glints of blonde had now been replaced by silver threads Bill noticed absentmindedly. Time was marching on for them all but not for Bill or Jessica. The last few years had taken its toll on them all really but Sam still had fared better than others. Marriage and a child suited him despite all the trials that had befallen him and Bill was glad of that.

Once outside in the car Jess looked at Bill with a troubled look on her face. 'Just tell me you are not going to put yourself at risk for her Bill? There are too many relying on you now to put yourself in that kind of danger again.' Bill stayed silent as he drove back home. 'Bill please, I know that you and Katie aren't what you say, I am not stupid and that is fine if that is how you want to play it with everyone else but this is me, I love you more than life Bill and I hate to think of you risking yourself again for her.'

Bill pulled into his drive and turned off the ignition before looking at Jess. 'It's over Jess,' he told her as he ran his fingers down her cheek in a moment of tenderness between them, 'I made it clear to her that it's over but …' Jess knew what was coming, she could read him like a book and when push comes to shove she wouldn't love him like she did if he wasn't the person that she knew him to be. So it was no surprise that he went on, 'She is on her own and it is only the decent thing if I go over and pay my respects and try to talk some sense into her. She can't stay there now, not with the way things are.'

Jess sighed. She knew he was right. She had been bought up as a good Christian and knew that despite everything that had happened it was the right thing to do but still, she had a bad feeling about this. She didn't know how or why but she felt that more than ever Bill was in danger, Sookie just seemed to draw it to her and it was always the same, whenever she got herself into trouble he was the one to pay the price. She feared that one day that price would be too high and she would lose him for good.

'Please Bill, please be careful. I couldn't stand it if something were to happen to you, I just couldn't bear it. If, if there is anything that I can do?' He looked at her face and the absolute sincerity written all over it. The one and only thing that Eric had ever been right about was the love of a maker for his progeny. No, that wasn't true, she wasn't his progeny, she was his daughter and he loved her as much as he had loved Sarah and Thomas, his own children.

The fact that he had been robbed of the joy of watching them become adults, in Thomas's case he was taken too young and in Sarah's case, he was given the bitter memory of her final days, that was beside the point. Had he stayed human he still would have had to come to terms with both events. Had he lived out his human life then he would have had to watch Sarah loose her battle for life far too young too, not just Thomas. No matter what though, whether his human children or his progeny, his love was just as deep for all three of them and he would do anything to protect the one child that still remained.

'You know that I did what I had to do to save you don't you, try to save you all,' he said quietly.' I love you Jess, I had to risk it even though it may have meant me meeting the true death. How could I not try when it was my fault that you were turned, robbed of your human life and potential. I am so sorry.' She shook her head. 'No Bill, you didn't take away my human life, you gave me a new one. You are everything in a Father that I never had. You are my Father, my maker and you gave me a life that I hadn't had before and never would if I had been alive. I can never thank you enough.'

He hugged her tightly to him, kissing the top of her head as she lingered in his arms before she broke away and looked at him. 'You know that I will help you anyway I can but please, just promise me, promise me to be careful. Don't take any risks, you are too precious to me,' she implored.

'I promise.'


	13. Chapter 13

There had been other times in Sookie's life when days had seemed this long. The days after Gran's death had been like years she remembered. Then there was that dreadful day that she has spent waiting to see if Bill was one of the vampires to meet their end when the vigilantes had firebombed that house in Munroe. Ironically she had Sam there to get her through the waiting, helping take her mind off things. This time round he had called her, he didn't come out to the house and she understood that, it had meant a lot that he had even bothered to think of her. And he had done his best to persuade her not to stay out there on her own, even offering her a room, but really she knew that she had to refuse it. It wouldn't be right, too much water under the bridge and he had a new life and family to take care of.

Arlene had called too and had insisted that she not come into to work. Uncharitably she had half wondered if that was more for the sake of keeping the peace at the bar as feelings were running a little high at the moment. There were those in Bon Temps that were worried by the attack over at Munroe and the fact that there had been quite a few casualties amongst the infected at Alcide's hands. There were those asking whether that would lead to revenge attacks in their neck of the woods seeing as he had come from Bon Temps?

Everyone knew that somehow Sookie had something to do with some of the strange things that had been going on now for years and they were worried that it would all flair up again. Things had sort of settled down into some kind of normalcy, if you could call living and feeding a vampire partner normal but compared to what was going on in other parts of the country, the in habitants of Bon Temps had come to terms a lot quicker than anywhere else with the way Bill and Sam had managed to make things work and no one wanted that to change in a hurry. So with this new development there were a few that were going to be looking at blaming someone for the situation and as everyone had seemed to like Alcide, that only left Sookie holding the bag for resentment.

So what was new she thought to herself as she whiled away the day lost in a fog of regret for the way things had gone with her life. Right now though, her main thoughts were filled with remorse over her treatment of Alcide and in particular the last few days when she had been so preoccupied with Bill that he had gone off to Munroe wondering if she really did still care about him.

She sat on the front porch for hours lost in a fog of forlorn remembrances as the hours slowly slipped through her fingers. She sat there and waited for god knows what to happen but nothing did. There were no friends bringing casseroles or offers to clean her house. There were no bunches of flowers with consolatory notes of heart felt grief. Apart from the two calls she had there was nothing but a deadly silence surrounding her. It may as well been her that was gone for all the contact she had with the outside world she concluded in her misery.

So she sat on thinking and reliving all the moments that been part of those other times when she thought that she could not go on and one by one, they had all melted into a past that despite everything that had happened, she had always had the will power to overcome, but not this time. This was different and she was trying her best to figure out why. She had gotten through those other times and they had been bad but she had survived so why was this any different, where had her hope gone?

Sweat trickled down her neck and ran between her breasts. The air was as thick as molasses in winter and made it hard to breathe as she sat there engulfed by this overwhelming thought… for the first time in her life she felt defeated and it was a thought that was new to her, unpalatable and strange. She was Sookie Stackhouse she told herself. She had been a waitress, a lover, a fighter and she was a Fae, royalty even although she never really took that seriously despite what Warlow had said. She had more backbone than this, this wasn't her to give up, to give in. She had faced being beaten, nearly being drained. She had been attacked by a Maenad, by vampires, by a vampire Fae and she had survived it all so she could get through this she told herself. She just had to figure out how.

By sunset she still hadn't come up with any answers but she had worked up a thirst in the heat. She wasn't hungry but she could sure do with a drink so she went inside and made herself a jug of iced peach tea, filling it up to the brim with crushed ice. She carried the jug and a long tall glass back to the porch and sat listening to the noises in the garden as the day time critters went to sleep and the night time creatures began to stir.

It was cooler now and she was thankful for that. It had been a long hot day. It might have been because of that or it may have been because she hadn't had a great deal of sleep the night before but for whatever reason, she fell asleep on the porch swing. She woke with a start and looked around dazed for a moment, fuzzy from sleep and wondering why she was sleeping in such an uncomfortable position. But that was not the only reason she had awoken. Even in her sleep she had felt his presence, well not his in particular but a presence that disturbed her so it was really no surprise when she woke and looked blearily around to find of all creatures Eric standing there holding what looked like a grotesquely vulgar looking plant.

'It's in your nature isn't it, you just can't help yourself can you?' she stated rather than asked, as she gave him and the obscene looking plant the once over. 'Hello Sookie, good to see you too. Glad to know that my little efforts are appreciated and never in vein, long time no see,' he observed. 'You sure didn't waste much time getting here the minute Alcide … the minute I am on my own and vulnerable did you. Oh but then you don't do you, that's your nature isn't it? Are you sure you are vampire and not vulture? Seems to me like you always show up just in time to pick at the bones,' she snarked at him, unafraid of his reaction.

'Sookie I came here to make sure you were safe and to see if there is anything that I can do for you but …' 'Thanks Eric,' she interrupted, 'but I can do without your help cause it always seems to come at too high a price for me. You know I have been doing a lot of thinking lately and re-evaluating my life and I'd like to ask you something if I may?' 'Sure, you can ask me anything that you would like to know,' he actually replied quite sincerely for a change. For the first time that day she smiled and Eric being Eric, he took it as a good sign. A sign that he might be in with a chance, however from the minute she started to speak he realised he had been very much mistaken.

'Tell me Eric, why was it that from the very first moment that I walked into Fangtasia with Bill you tried every low down rotten dirty trick in the book to split us up?' Without even giving him time to answer she was off again because frankly she didn't give two hoots what he had to say. 'Do you realise that we might have had a chance if you hadn't come poking your nose into our business, always there undermining any hope we had of having a meaningful relationship.' He opened his mouth to speak but didn't get a word out again, he couldn't because she wouldn't let him. 'You know I only just realised how very manipulative you have been and detrimental to the only thing that I have ever really wanted.'

This really wasn't like what he had been expecting, not one bit. He had gone there as soon as he had risen and heard the news. Finally she was on her own without Bill, Sam, Warlow or Alcide sniffing around her. Oh yes he had previously had his chance with her but that was when he had amnesia and to him it didn't count. He wanted to see if they could give it a go when he was him and not some addle brained half child like he was when he stayed there under her roof for protection. He had thought that at last this was the chance he had been waiting for, that they had both been waiting for. Sadly for him he was mistaken.

He opened his mouth to try to tell her but he just didn't have the words that he deemed sufficient and besides, he was rather shocked by her sudden turn around. Alcide was barely twenty four hours cold and yet she was talking about Bill and herself as though it was only yesterday that they had been in love and then split up. It was news to him that she even cared about Bill anymore given that she had been anti Compton for such a long time now. He suddenly wondered if all the past few years with her vehement hatred of Bill had been just a sham. What had made her suddenly change her mind he wondered?

'Sookie I fear that you are not thinking straight right now and so I will leave and come back when you are in a better mood.' She shook her head. 'No Eric, don't bother. Don't come back here ever again. For the first time in a long time I am thinking completely clearly and in my right mind and I realised a few truths. I have lost the only chance of happiness with a man that loved me with all his heart, even if it is a cold dead one, and it is you that I have to blame for it and me too for ever listening to you and letting you do this. Everything was going fine until you tricked me. For someone so young Bill is twice the vampire you will ever be. He has something in him that you lost a long time ago or maybe you never had,' she spat the words at him mustering up an icy rage that took him totally by surprise.

He raised an eyebrow in that smug laconic way that he had and asked her in a somewhat bored tone, 'Oh yes and what is that? What is it that your precious Bill Compton has that I don't? Is he a better lover? I doubt it. Is his blood better than mine? Hardly one would think. Is he more manly and I am not talking about being human when I say that, you know very well what I am talking about.'

'See there you go, that's exactly what I am talking about. You see that is the difference between you and him. You think it is all about power or sex or how big you are that makes you better? Well now you have just proven my point. The difference between the two of you is that he is a gentleman, a true southern gentleman and despite being vampire he still has some dignity and compassion and morals where as you… you wouldn't know the meaning of them Eric. You even use your own progeny… Pam adores you and yet you treat her like shit at times. Not once did you ever put me or anyone for that matter before your own safety. You are selfish and a bully and a thug. You are not welcome here and never will be again so just get out of my sight and stay that way,' she raged.

'Oh and just so you know,' she said in one last parting shot as she got up, her tirade subsiding and she calmly walked over to her front door, 'he is the best lover I could ever imagine,' she said smiling to herself as she watched the effect of her words, closing the door on his crumpled face. Touché!

It was the best that she had felt in a long time and went a long way to helping her reclaim some of the backbone that had gone missing a long time ago when she fell for sucking out a harmless bullet in Dallas.

Only time would tell if she had done right nor not.


	14. Chapter 14

Suddenly Sookie was hungry. She realised that she hadn't eaten for god knows how long and her stomach was making those little growling sounds like it does when it is empty and telling you to feed it. She went to her ice box and rummaged through it until she found a container of cold BBQ chicken she had intended to make into a stir fry but instead she grabbed it along with a handful of baby tomatoes, some mayo and cut up some lettuce and threw it all into a bowl as a kind of rushed tossed salad, then she ate like she hadn't in she didn't know how long. Gees this giving someone a piece of you mind sure worked up an appetite she thought.

Once she had eaten, done the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen, she headed for the shower. What she needed was a long scrub under some hot water with her favourite scented body wash and a good shampoo and scalp massage. When she finally emerged she felt one hundred percent better and climbing into her old large and comfy t shirt night dress, the one with the little bears hugging each other on it, her comfort zone was complete.

She was just about to take off the towel wrapped around her hair and comb out the tangles when there was a knock on the door. Oh great, what now she was thinking as she made her way to the closet where she kept her gun loaded with silver bullets. No need to get sloppy, she realised that she had better start learning all over again to protect herself. Standing there by the front door holding the rifle in one hand and with an eye on a sharpened stake leaning against the wall for back up, she peeked through the side curtain and got the shock of her life for standing there on her front porch, looking spectacularly stunning as always, she admitted to herself, was Bill.

Oh shoot, she thought to herself as she looked down at the unflattering outfit she had on, complete with fluffy slippers and turbaned hair, she couldn't get any more unglamorous if she had tried. Not that it mattered much; he had made that well and truly clear to her already so she might just as well answer the door and to hell with caring about how she looked.

She opened it and stood there staring at him as he stared back at her for a moment. Little did she know that he thought that she looked adorable and so vulnerable in her plain "having a night at home mourning outfit" as she thought of it, if she gave it any real thought at all. It took him a moment to compose himself as he really hadn't quite expected her to come to the door dressed as she was.

'I am sorry,' he said apologetically, 'I didn't mean to disturb you, I only came to see if you are alright. I won't keep you but I just thought that I would let you know that if you need it I can arrange for someone to keep an eye out in the woods, just to make sure that you have some kind of protection. And before you say anything, I am not insinuating that you can't look after yourself but there have been rumours that the herd of infected that were responsible for,' he hesitated trying to think of a painless way to put it, not wanting to cause her any more pain than she must be going through because of the loss of Alcide, but before he could finish his sentence she interrupted.

'Thanks Bill. It's okay and I do appreciate it, I really do,' she said sincerely. 'Under the circumstances it is the kindest offer I have had all day.' She spoke rather humbly and it tugged at his heart. She seemed different, a little defeated and less defiant than she had been when they had last spoken only a little over twenty four hours ago.

After his talk with Sam, his trip home and his talk with Jessica, Bill sat for a while in his study mulling over what was the best thing to do for Sookie. He had promised Jess that he would be careful and look after himself. He smiled wistfully to himself. She could see straight through him. There was no need for him to tell her that his relationship with Katie was a ruse and purely platonic. He couldn't fool her one bit, she was his daughter and progeny and could feel all his emotions.

Despite herself and her independence, and despite the fact that he did still love her regardless of the camouflaged story he put out to the world and to her, he had to take into consideration that Sookie on her own, unprotected, would be like a magnet to a V infected vampire. That was something that neither he who cared for her wanted, nor the community as a whole would be willing to put up with for long if it meant that it put the whole township in danger of another full on attack. The last thing that they needed was attention being drawn to them. The community would be baying for her blood if there was to be a full on outbreak again from a large force all because they were drawn there as a result of Sookie's attraction and revenge for Alcide's attack over at Munroe.

Now if he could only decide how best he could help Sookie and still remain true to his decision to let her go, for her sake and his. Something had to be done. He knew that he had to do something but had no idea what was the best way to tackle her. Nothing he had ever done before had made one iota of difference as far as changing her mind regarding her independence, and he feared that even now, after what had happened to Alcide, nothing he said or did would have any effect. So his surprise was complete when she stood there and asked him civilly, without fighting, cursing or crying as had been the norm in the past while, would he care to come in?

Something had changed in her demeanour and it was something more than just the loss of Alcide, Bill felt. As he was about to accept he noticed the gross looking pot plant that Eric had left at the side of the front door, sitting on her porch like a red piece of flesh. She noticed him looking and could almost read his mind. She rolled her eyes. 'You aren't the only one to come calling tonight. Eric paid me a visit earlier this evening.' She also noticed Bill stiffen visibly at this news and was quick to reassure him. 'He won't be coming back,' she gave a wistful smile, 'I made it rather clear that he is not welcome here.' Bill's eyebrows shot half way up his forehead in surprise but he said nothing as he followed her from the hallway into the living room.

The last time he had been in the room was the dreadful night when he had come for Warlow. He cringed at the thought of how cruel they had both been on that occasion. It was not something that he was proud of but in the end it served a purpose. It had been the only way to get through the mess that everything had become and now, here he was in yet another mess and trying just as valiantly to work his way through this too. If she only understood how much he craved normalcy just as much as she did. He sighed to himself.

'So, you would have someone out in the woods on the lookout?' she asked as they sat down facing each other on opposite sofas. He nodded. 'It would only be for a while, just until things calm down a bit,' he assured her. 'You wouldn't even know that they were there and they would report directly to me.' She smiled grimly. 'Oh yes and who do you think that you would get to do the guarding, I am not the most popular person with in your community?' She went a little red in the face when she realised how harsh this may sound and she went on quickly in an attempt to soften her words.

'Bill what I mean is that well, there aren't too many vamps that know me that would be happy to do it so are you sure that you can arrange it? And well, if it was someone from out of town how do I know that I would be safe with a strange vampire, wouldn't I be at risk just as much as I would with the infected?'

He saw the logic of her thinking and it was not something that he hadn't already given consideration to before coming over. 'Jessica has agreed to do it.' It was Sookie's turn to raise her eyebrows in surprise. 'Jessica?' she questioned, 'but I had the distinct feeling that she of all people would be one of the last to want to help me. Not that I don't blame her,' she said half to herself looking down at the floor, unspoken thoughts going through her mind. 'She would be doing it for me,' he explained looking rather uncomfortable. 'For you?' she questioned.

Her heart gave a little extra beat as she digested what he had said. So he had asked Jessica to do this for him, but why? Did he feel some obligation to her or, no it was too much to hope that after everything that they had gone through, even as recently as only last night, did he, was there really any hope… that he still cared, just even a little for her?

No, her head told her, don't go there. It will only hurt you more getting your hopes up. Knowing Bill as well as she thought that she did it was more than likely only his ethics and chivalrous nature kicking in that was offering to protect her. He made it clear last night that it was over and he had moved on and yet, despite that, here he was sitting in her living room actually talking and not fighting. No harsh and hurting words between them this time.

She snapped out of her reverie when the towel wrapped around her head slipped and fell around her shoulders. She frowned. 'Do you mind?' she asked him as she divested herself of it entirely and picked up her comb and began to comb through her tangled hair.

Because she had been out of the shower for some time and hadn't combed her hair out while wet, she found that it was tangled and knotted and she was struggling to get her comb through it. He watched her for a few moments. His face softened at the sight of her and the memories it conjured up for him.

Perhaps it was because they had managed to have a whole conversation without ripping each other to pieces. Maybe it was that they had a grown up conversation for a change or that they were both relaxed and their guards were down and he was feeling sentimental, or perhaps it might have been that he sensed some kind of almost defeat in her that he had never felt before but for whatever reason, he was swamped by a nostalgic longing for the past and what they had.

He didn't often give in to his feelings like this but tonight he couldn't help feeling her vulnerability even though she was attempting to mask it, or maybe because when push came to shove, he was just as vulnerable as she was despite how much he had grown in the last few years. It didn't matter really what the reasons were, he didn't bother to analyse his feelings, he just acted on them spontaneously and without thinking.

'Here,' a small smile creased the corners of his soft lips, 'come and sit and give me the comb,' he said patiently as though talking to a child. Her mind flashed back to the times that he had done this before for her, happy times when he had sat brushing her hair out, reminiscing about doing the very same thing for his sister and his daughter. It had always soothed her and calmed her and it generally led to them ending up in each other's arms making love.

It had been so long, she thought, so very long since they had touched and she knew that more than anything else in the world right now, just to touch would be like heaven. A heaven that she admitted to herself she perhaps didn't quite deserve.


	15. Chapter 15

She was blushing all over when he pulled the ottoman closer in front of him and patted it, indicating for her to sit down on it between his legs. She did as she was told for once and sat there meekly with his long sensual fingers running through the knots and combing out the tangles until she felt her hair swinging free. He went on combing for a few minutes and she could feel his cool hands touching the back of her neck as he lifted her hair in his hands, the touch burning through her like an uncontrolled fire.

Before she realised it, a small groan slipped out and at the sound he dropped his hands away from her immediately. He was glad that she was sitting with her back to him so she couldn't see that his fangs had run out at the sound of her voice and the touch of her hot skin. They sat like this for moments, for a life time for all they knew or cared. It was the most physical contact they had had with each other for so very long and it flooded them both with a need that neither of them could deny to be true and sound.

'I am so sorry Bill,' her voice broke the silence that had descended on the room, 'I am sorry for all the hurt.' Her shoulders had slumped and her body was racked with her sobs as she sat there in front of him. 'I am sorry too Sookie,' he whispered. Holding himself away from her was taking as much of his control that he could muster. 'We never really had a chance did we?' she asked, her voice coming out half strangled, choking on her tears. 'No we didn't really, did we?' his voice was soft and regretful, whispering close to her ear now as his resistance caved slightly and he ran his comforting hands over her back, patting her in an attempt to soothe her hurts.

'In, in another life if things had been different, if you hadn't been…' she stuttered. 'If I hadn't been vampire and you hadn't been fae,' he said. 'Yes, if we had been normal, do you think that there would have been a chance?' 'Sweetheart, I always thought that we had a chance but,' he shook his head sadly, 'we can't change things Sookie. You are what you are and I am what I am and that is the way of the world.'

She nodded her head, full of regret for what might have been but wasn't, and she knew that he was gone, slipping silently out of the room and out of the house.

Despite what she had been through that day, Sookie slept better than she had for a long time. She dreamt, she remembered the next day, but her dreams were not filled with fear. Instead they were peaceful and soothing like a balm to her wounded soul. She knew that she had dreamt of Bill but she couldn't remember what, all that she knew was that she woke in the morning feeling rested and somewhat in harmony with herself.

The world was newly washed when she walked out on her porch, taking a cup of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal with her. The sky looked bluer, the grass looked greener, Gran's roses glowed patches of jewelled colours like shining gems in their beds and the petunias growing abundantly beneath them added pastel rainbow shades that seemed to shimmer with subtle bursts of incandescent hues. She sniffed and the soft scent of magnolia and jasmine pervaded her nostrils, making her want to skip across the lawn like she had when she was a kid with Jason, filling her with a memory of fun, fun that she hadn't had for such a long time.

How strange it was that in such a short space of time she could feel like this, her world that had looked so very bleak and hopeless changing so quickly. She knew now that even though Bill had said it was over and that he had moved on, he had forgiven her, why she even thought that he may be felt the same regrets as she did. If things had been different then they just might have had a chance and despite that being impossible, the thought that he still did care gave her a purpose to go on. Even though they would not and could not be together she now knew that there really was someone nearby that loved and cared for her and it was enough she told herself.

Just after nine Arlene rang urging Sookie to take as much time as she needed before coming back into work. Sookie promised her that she would even though she secretly thought that the phone call was about keeping her away till things settled down more or less rather than for her own benefit, but then she scolded herself. She had to stop seeing ulterior motives in everything that others did. It was a habit she had fallen into lately and she was determined it was going to stop.

The next few days were taken up with making arrangements and going through all of Alcide's personal effects. It was a task that seemed to be all too familiar to her now and even though it hurt her terribly, she somehow managed to get through it all. She boxed up all of his clothes and took them to charity, sorted through his papers and bits and pieces that he had and decided she would store them up in the attic until she had time to think about what was best to do with them.

She was surprised by a visit from Portia who, unbeknown to her was Alcide's lawyer. She advised her that he had left everything he had to her, including his house, fairly newly built and worth a considerable amount, not to mention his construction company. Sookie was flabbergasted when Portia told her the value of the entire estate. She had no idea that he had been as wealthy as he was which in turn made her a very comfortably well off young woman now. It was agreed that as she knew absolutely nothing about the business, it would be run by his offsider Walt Sawyer so she would not have to worry about anything in that regard, all she had to do was sit back and watch her bank balance grow.

By the time Portia left her head was spinning. Oh my stars, she kept saying to herself as she walked around the house pinching herself. She had always had to work hard for her money and it had been a struggle at times but now really if she didn't want to she wouldn't have to work at all or, she could do anything that she liked. Why she could even go back to school if she wanted to, take a course, become anything. A whole new world opened up to her. What had she always wanted to do with her life? She couldn't think she was so shocked. She was in overload; just too much had happened in the last couple of weeks for her to take anything in.

She sat out in her old deck chair in the sun thinking and tried to get a handle on the many possibilities that life now had. For a start she could put air conditioning in and not just on the ground floor, she could have it upstairs and even in her attic. She could get the attic made into a proper room too, Alcide would have liked that because they had talked about doing it but hadn't gotten around to it yet. It would be a good excuse to thoroughly clean it up and get rid of a lot of old junk that had been up there since god knows how long.

It was too hot to do it now during the day but she could make a start on it in the evenings, lord knows she had little enough to do and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't settle on sitting there watching TV and even her library books were of little enough interest to keep her focussed lately with everything that had happened.

When it got to close to sundown she went inside and made herself a sandwich and a glass of iced peach tea then took them over to her small desk in the living room and cranked up her laptop. She began looking at courses she could take but there were so many and she still didn't really know what she wanted to do. Then suddenly it hit her and she remembered a conversation that she had been having with Bill one night on their way back from Fangtasia after being there with Eric and Russell Edgington.

They had been driving along talking about if things were different and what they would like to be doing. She remembered that Bill had said he would like to be a school teacher and grow vegetables and she had laughingly said she would be a real estate agent, a rich one. Hmm, she thought to herself smiling, that's not such a bad idea, real estate.

Since Bon Temps had become a model for successful integration between vampires and humans she had noticed that the little village had become a mecca for new believers wanting to move there with their loved ones for a safer place to bring up their families and embrace a new way of life and of thinking, after all the old world was gone now, changed beyond recognition since the vampires had come out and this terrible plague or whatever it was had spread throughout the world.

The situation now had even caused a bit of a housing shortage and she remembered driving past the one and only estate agent in the town and seeing a big sign in the window saying that houses for sale were needed urgently, top dollar paid.

Then she thought about the acreage at the back of the house and how land prices had sure been going up lately around the place and well, what was to stop her from subdividing some of the land off and building a little gated community, one that would be family friendly and affordable. She had the money to do it so maybe that would be a good thing, a way to contribute something and keep her occupied at the same time. The BB & G just didn't seem to cut it any more as far as job satisfaction went.

She could see it now, houses all new and shiny, surrounded by their own piece of garden. A child friendly park in the middle of it with a playground, maybe a pond or some kind of swimming pool, a small skate park and bike course for the boys and gardens with cubby houses where all the girls could play house, all safe for children of course and everything that kids just loved to do and would get them out of the house and playing outside in the sunshine. There could even be a small child minding centre to look after the little ones that were too young to go to school but had Mums who had to work.

Of course there would be a lot of planning to do and shire approval to be gotten but maybe Sam might be able to advise her seeing he was Mayor and all. The only fly in her ointment as far as her plan went was that the land adjoined Bill's part of the boundary and she wasn't sure if she would have to consult him and get his approval for building permission. Still, he did love kids and was community minded so maybe he wouldn't object and that part of his land was vacant and away from his house. Besides she thought, he had so many acres on his property, surely he wouldn't object seeing that it really wouldn't affect him too much.

She went to bed with her head full of ideas and possibilities and with a smile on her face at the thought of doing something for the community, whether they liked her or not, and this was a way that she thought might help others out by providing affordable decent housing right here in Bon Temps.

She was still smiling as she fell asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Alcide's funeral was bigger than Sookie had expected. People within the construction business came from far and wide. He had a lot of contacts she realised and was well respected amongst the building community. There were also a few faces from the Were community that she recognised too but amongst her own Bon Temps community, only a handful of those that she had always considered her friends showed up.

Sam was there out of respect for her despite his feelings about what Alcide had done and that Sookie was still unaware of. What would she have thought if she was to find out about the kidnapping Sam didn't know and had no intentions of telling her. Arelene came accompanied by Lafayette and of all people, Jane Bodehouse was there too, never one to miss out on an occasion. Her profuse sympathy was tempered by the liquor on her breath Sookie noticed, but never the less she was touched by the barfly making it anywhere sober enough to stand up at ten thirty in the morning.

At the very last moment, before the graveside service was about to begin, Jason showed up out of the blue. It was the first time Sookie had seen him in weeks and even though he arrived in the local squad car, in uniform too, and left almost immediately after, she was humbled that he had made the effort. 'Sorry for your loss,' he had mumbled to her coldly and gave her a very awkward and uncomfortable hug before rushing off straight away but promising that he would call her after she had said that they needed to talk.

Even though it wasn't strictly necessary, seeing that Grans had left her the house and all the land and Eric had given it back to her, she felt that it would only be fitting and a courtesy to him to discuss her plans for the land with him. She wasn't quite sure how he would feel, with Jason things could go either way depending on what mood he was in and who he was currently sleeping with at the time. It didn't bode that well that he was totally enamoured with Violet and looking like a hen pecked married man at the moment. She sighed, she didn't want to think about that now, she was trying to deal with getting through the day and that was enough for her.

'Sugar you sure been through some sorrow in your time,' Lafayette said to her sympathetically when he came over and hugged her. She nodded unable to speak as she choked up and fought to keep unshed tears from spilling down her face. She hadn't really cried yet for Alcide. She had felt so guilty about everything and in particular the last few days they were together that she couldn't even face thinking about him. She had put it in the back of her mind as just another thing in her life to regret and not feel too proud of herself over.

'What you need is some good loving and a man in your life that is going to be around for a long time honey child, if you get my drift sugar,' he purred going on with his thoughts, 'and we both know who I am talking about.' She opened her mouth to say something but he jumped in first. 'I'm just saying that's all. You listen to your Lala honey, ain't no one gonna love you like that hot handsome vampire baby, I don't care what anyone says. That Katie might be one pretty little thing but that's not where his heart is. You mark my words, you know that I know what I am talking about now girl. Your Wolf, he cared about you girl but ain't no one going to love you like Bill.'

He wandered off leaving her standing there wondering just how accurate his predictions were. Was it possible that he really did know that to be true? Walt Sawyer and some of the others from Alcide's company broke into her thoughts when they came over to make their goodbyes. 'If there is anything that I can do for you Sookie you just let me know.' 'Thanks Walt and thanks for everything, I appreciate your help. I'll be in contact.' Others came over to offer sympathy but it was all becoming a bit of a blur under the strain she was feeling until Sam appeared next to her.

'Sam I was wondering if I could come and see you sometime, I'd make an appointment and all, if that is okay with you?' she had asked when he had come over to wish her well and commiserate with her for her loss. The Reverend and Lettie Mae were hovering so she didn't think it appropriate to go into details there and then regarding the possibility of sub dividing her land and her project, they may not understand that she needed something to take her mind off everything and could misconstrue her actions as being a little callous coming so soon after Alcide's demise but she had to have something in her life that would keep her going she justified to herself. She really did need a diversion right now or she would go nuts.  
Sam looked a little doubtful and suddenly his thoughts projected out to her loud and clear. 'It's okay you know, I am not in any kind of trouble or anything,' she reassured him. 'Sure Sookie, you know that I will always make time for you and you don't need to make an appointment, you are welcome any time if I am free,' he responded shutting down his mind and putting up a barrier to her. 'Things are pretty busy at the moment but I promise that I will make time for you.'

He smiled a little, a hint of the old Sam flitted across his face for a moment, and she thanked him and thanked him for coming too. She really did appreciate it she told him. 'How are you doing Sook, really are you okay? I am glad that you have accepted Bill's offer.' Sookie's eyebrows rose up. 'Oh so you know about that?' He nodded. 'The two of you are pretty tight now aren't you? Who would have thought it,' she observed. 'He's a good and caring man Sookie,' Sam stated, unsure what response he would get to his comment.  
'Yes Sam, I am only now realising that for myself. Tomorrow at nine in the morning,' she asked, changing the subject as she felt tears springing to her eyes, 'would that be convenient?' 'Sure Sookie, that's fine. I'll see you then. Take care.'

He left wondering what it was all about and hoping like hell that she hadn't been stretching it when she said that there was nothing wrong. He had enough on his plate as it was without more dramas. The ruckus over in Munroe had rippled out around the local area and both he and Bill were busy trying to keep a lid on it but were fearful that a new outbreak of V infected vampires attacks closer to home was only a matter of time. Well, he would find out tomorrow, he thought to himself as he sped back to work and he sure hoped it was not going to be another drama that he could do without.

When she finally got home she couldn't wait to kick off her shoes, get out of the thick linen dress she had worn and get into the shower. The hot water on her was heaven and refreshed her after the long tiresome day. She slipped into her favourite t shirt and shorts and fixed herself something to eat and drink then headed to her desk and her laptop.

She had managed to have a quick chat with Walt Sawyer at one point when he had come over to introduce himself to her, tossing around the idea of housing construction and her project. She had found that he had been open to working on it with her. That was a relief to her to know that her idea wasn't silly and that just maybe, if everything went okay, it might just work out. He had even given her some ideas for architects she may like to look into so she spent the night surfing the net and looking into housing designs, one in particular that took her fancy was from a firm that Walt had mentioned over in Shreveport. Keep it local and grow the economy he had advised.

The design was ideal. It had enough room for kids, space for Mum and Dad and looked really pretty. She did some rough calculations in her head while she was undressing, getting ready for bed and even including the playgrounds, a small park and a kindergarten come child minding centre, she was sure that about fifteen houses could be built or maybe even more.

She made a mental note to ring Walt and thank him. She had been impressed with the handsome thirty something construction boss. Not only did he seem to know what he was doing and to assure her that things would be fine with the business but he had been openly receptive and helpful to her and her project. She had been surprised when she met him as she had expected someone older and more weather worn but Walt looked more like he had just stepped off one of those glossy calendars, you know the ones that had pictures of hulky bare chested men in safety hard hats, torn faded jeans and not much else. But for all that, and behind his penetrating green eyes, winning perfect smile and long flowing auburn hair, she had the feeling he was one smart cookie when it came to building.

There was something else too in Walt's demeanour that had peaked her curiosity but she hadn't quite put her finger on it. She had the distinct feeling that he was curious about her. She almost felt that he was appraising her, judging her based on some preconceived idea that he had about her. Maybe he had heard local gossip, she shrugged to herself but it puzzled her as did the feeling of sadness that she felt rolling off him. She put the thought to the back of her mind along with a lot of other things that she was just too tired to deal with, whatever it was she was she was hoping that it wouldn't impede their working together because she sure needed something happy to focus on right now.

Despite the toll the day had taken on her she felt enthused by the possibility of her project. She had been through so much in the last couple of weeks, the last couple of years really, shock and dramas making her head spin so that at times she couldn't keep up or even make sense of everything happening to her. There hadn't been too much to be proud about herself she knew, the way that she had treated Bill and Alcide and all her friends too for that matter had ground her down but now was her chance to make up for it, or at least regain some self-esteem she was thinking as she stood by her bedroom window gazing out into the night.

A sudden movement in the trees at the edge of her garden bought her out of her day dream. For a moment she had thought that she had seen a pale face staring up at her, a pale face with a cascade of red hair. She almost moved her hand to wave but the vision was gone before she had the chance to. She sighed. Well she guessed, Jess must be living up to her promise to Bill standing guard over her, watching the grounds.

A wave of regret swept over her as she thought about one of the last times they had spoken. It had been on a beach after escaping the horrors of the Authority building and she recalled how she had said to her something about Bill being her first and she would always love him or something like that. Then she had gone on and implied that she would always be there for her but within a short space of time there she was with a stake in her hand lunging at Bill, Jess's maker and Father.

How could it have happened? She who had said she loved him then not recognised him to be still there, still alive even after… after drinking the blood and turning into a "God." Jess knew that Bill was still Bill. Jess could feel it in her bond deep down, a tiny slither of knowledge, recognition and belief, and she believed enough in Bill to have hope and see the truth. Why hadn't she? She had a lot of making up to do and hoped that one day, if it was possible, she would get the chance to do it but right at that moment she doubted it very much.

Just as she closed her eyes she had one last thought. She nodded to herself as she drifted off. Every single one of her houses would include a light tight room for their vampire protector, and not just some dingy pokey little hidey hole like the one that Bill had endured. No it would be spacious and welcoming, a place that a vampire would feel okay about being in and one that would give them a sense of self-worth… that was something that she guessed she hadn't really given Bill but now, now at least she could kind of make amends in her own small way.

She was changing.


	17. Chapter 17

'So, what can I do for you Sookie?' Sam asked her after greeting her and showing her a seat. She looked around his office. It was neat as a pin and so unlike the small pokey room that had been his stamping ground when he had Merlottes. She was impressed, not with the actual room, although with its relatively modern and sleek lines, subtle and suitable décor and uncluttered no nonsense appearance, she had to admit that it sure was a step up for him. What impressed her was the air of studied focus that emanated not from the surrounds but from Sam himself. There was little of the shifter bar owner left in his demeanour now, he was all dedicated attention to detail and to serving the office he had taken an oath to uphold, serious and yet tempered by his twinkling eyes and salt and pepper hair. /p

pShe mentally shook her head in wonder and redirected her thoughts to the matter at hand. 'Thanks for seeing me Sam,' she said and she meant it after he had asked her how she was coping and if she was alright. 'I do appreciate it.' Slightly embarrassed she went on to tell him of her new circumstances and her idea, hoping like hell that he wouldn't shoot her down in flames. He let her go on until she finally ran out of steam and ground to a halt, her face red and hot with the thought that she had yet again made a total fool of herself with one of her hair brained ideas. /p

p'That's a mighty fine idea Sookie and if you are serious you will find that you won't have any trouble getting the relevant permits from the Shire.' Her mouth dropped open. She was speechless. 'There is just one thing though.' Her heart dropped at his words. She knew it, she just knew that there would be something that would prevent it. He gazed at the disappointed look on her face and for the first time in a long time he had a glimmer of respect for her. Maybe she really did want to do something for the community. God knows she sure was not the most popular person going around and once they found out that there may be trouble brewing in the form of a possible new attack from the infected vamps then they sure weren't going to be happy. /p

p'What is it Sam?' her voice sounded quivery to her ears as she held her breathe waiting for him to crush her hopes. Sam looked a bit uncomfortable. 'Your land borders Bill's if I am not mistaken?' She nodded, her face reddened a little under his scrutiny. 'You will need to get his written agreement before anything can go ahead, you do know that don't you? It's a normal requirement when building, consultation with adjoining neighbours and so forth, that's where I would be starting, even before you make any plans because without it then I am sorry it is a no go.' She nodded again. She had kind of been expecting as much. /p

p'Thanks for seeing me Sam and for all your advice.' She got up to go. 'Sookie, do you want me to have a word with Bill?' His bright blue eyes searched her face while he waited for her response. She gave him a smile, one that he recognised from the old days. It was a smile that she generally reserved for difficult customers or situations that she was uncomfortable with. 'Thanks anyway Sam but that's fine. I'll think about it and let you know if I need a hand.' She gave him another smile and wished him a good day then was gone, leaving him standing there lost in thought while watching her figure fading down the corridor before leaving the building. /p

pWell that was unexpected he thought, going back to his desk and flicking his computer on then sending off a few emails. It wasn't his place to interfere but at least he could make sure that the architect she had mentioned was of sound repute and had no black marks against him. He knew Walt Sawyer by reputation and had no qualms about trusting him with running the company on Sookie's behalf or managing the project she had dreamt up. He gave himself over to a few moments of contemplation, looking back through the past to their days at Merlottes. A lot had happened to them both and they and the world had changed but he had to smile a little to himself. I think that I just got a glimpse of the old Sookie and it's about time too he mused./p

pWell that kind of went better than Sookie had been expecting she thought as she got into her car. At least Sam hadn't squashed her tentative plan and that was something. Okay so she was going to have to talk to Bill. All right she could do this she told herself. The other night they had seemed to get on without tearing each other to pieces and that was a start and she kind of believed that he would approve of the idea, she hoped. She would go over and see Bill tonight and if he agreed then she would make an appointment to see the architect, Josh Locke, and then go visit Walt Sawyer. She was kind of curious to see what Alcide's construction company looked like these days and maybe Walt could show her around a little. From what she had seen of him he seemed like a nice enough guy and she was a little curious about him too. Actually, he seemed really nice and she wondered if he was married, had kids and where he lived. There was just something about him that interested her./p

p She sat lost thinking about things for a while before realising that time was marching on and she had things to do. Number one on her list was to buy some new clothes. She had never really cared about what she wore. When she was working at Merlottes waitressing it had all been easy. She had her uniform to fall back on. And then when she took over running the office side of things she hadn't been that fussed. Alcide preferred her to dress a little on the conservative side she had discovered not all that long after they had become a couple. /p

pShe didn't mind really, she was kind of happy to go along with it even though there were times that she felt she looked a bit too matronly. But now if she was going to be a business woman she thought that perhaps it was about time she got some new outfits befitting her new station in life so she took off for Shreveport where she knew she would find a variety of boutiques at the mall. No Walmart bargains for her this time. She wanted to look thoroughly professional and in a funny way make herself feel proud and a well cut suit would do the trick she hoped. /p

pWhen Portia had told her that she was quite well off now, it didn't really sink in at the time but now that she had a little time to think about it she realised she could pretty much do anything that she wanted to do and that included buying clothes or even finally getting a new car. It was about time she got something a bit more reliable so she put that on her list of things to look into but first things first she would hit the mall. Other than looking professional for hopefully her new role, in the back of her mind she had a vision of how well groomed Katie had looked on both occasions she had seen her at Merlottes and she figured if she had to go over to Bill's then there was a chance that she would be there. She was determined that she wouldn't go there looking dowdy so that was kind of an added incentive to shop till she dropped and come back looking sensational. /p

pOr so she hoped./p


	18. Chapter 18

Late afternoon Sookie flopped onto her couch exhausted and surrounded by shopping bags, a new car standing proudly out in front of her house on the gravel drive. Portia had told her she had transferred an amount into her bank account under the provisions of Alcide's will, just to tide her over so to speak but when she had gone to the bank at Shreveport to get some cash and she had seen the amount that was in there, it really hit her how very well off she was. With that in mind she did something that she had never imagined she would ever be able to afford to do in her whole life – she went and bought herself a brand new car. Not a second had one mind you, no sir nothing but the best, a brand new car.

She had picked one out that she knew to be fuel efficient and environmentally friendly but luxuriously appointed compared to the old bomb she had been driving around in for years. She sank into the cream coloured leather seats and plush thick carpet, the new car smell nearly knocking her senses for a six as she inhaled the intoxicating aroma. It had all mod cons including blue tooth, satellite navigation and other extras that she wasn't even sure what they did. When she got in to drive it home she wasn't entirely confident that she would be able to. The dashboard looked more like it belonged in a fighter plane rather than a car it was so fancy to her eyes but somehow she managed. And now it stood proudly outside, the deep navy of the highly polished duco gleaming in the late afternoon sun.

She sighed with relief as she kicked off her shoes and stretched her legs out. After getting her car she had walked a million miles and gone into every shop in the whole of Louisiana she laughed to herself exaggerating as she looked at the pile of bags heaped up all over the floor. Even though she was tired she was pleased with herself. She may have money now but she had managed to be practical too. It just wasn't in her nature to be frivolous when it came down to it. The car was on sale with thousands knocked off for an end of year run out promotion and as for the clothes, she had managed to get really good prices on everything that she had decided to buy.

She had shopped wisely, avoiding the latest more out there fashion trends and decided to in lieu to go with elegant rather than way out so amongst her purchases she had three suits, all in the same style with a fitted jacket and pencil skirt resting just above her knees. She chose dark navy, charcoal grey and black so that she could mix match skirts with jackets to stretch her wardrobe. She had also bought a crisp white long sleeved shirt and sleeveless cotton shirt that had lovely lace cut away panelling in it. All very smart and business like but feminine too. She lashed out and got a pair of black wedge pumps too, not too high, no killer heels for her, she valued comfort when it came to footwear. Lord knows she had spent that much time on her feet as a waitress to know that it was important to look after them. She didn't want bunions like Grans had when she got old she told herself.

Apart from buying the car, it was a day for firsts on another score. One of the shops that she had been in had all kinds of accessories and even had a make-up section, you know one of those counters where the person serving you looks immaculate and no matter how well turned out you are feeling they always manage to make you feel dowdy when they spruik there spiel on the latest trends just to get you to buy something. Well, they had been giving free make-overs with any purchases over a certain amount on a new product and the girl had offered one to Sookie.

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she took the opportunity to get the full works and ended up getting a whole new beauty regime and a new make-up look into the bargain, and all on special offer. Candee, the beautician, had even shown her a few tricks about how to put her hair up quickly and professionally looking and she was thrilled. Now if she only had the energy to get up off the couch and grab a bite to eat and a shower before heading over to Bill's at dusk, then she could count today as thoroughly worthwhile. Well she could if he agreed to her plan she qualified to herself.

Groaning as she got up, she made her way to the kitchen and grabbed a bite to eat then poured herself a nice hot bath. While waiting she carefully hung her new clothes up and tidied up a bit. She got into the bath careful not to disturb her hair or smudge her make up. When Candee the assistant had finished with her make over Sookie had been over the moon with the results. She had looked at herself in the mirror and had been taken aback by the transformation. She gazed at the sophisticated looking vision that was her reflection and barely recognised herself she looked so different from the homely girl dressed rather dowdily that only a few days or weeks ago had been to church in her best Sunday hat on the arm of her wolf. She felt that she had done a lot of growing up in a very short space of time.

The bath water was hot and fragrant from the bubbles her favourite bubble bath gel emitted. She could have laid there forever and just drifted off but she forced herself to get out and get dressed. It was close to sundown and she wanted to take her time getting dressed, touching up her make-up and hair, and compose herself. She had been rehearsing what she was going to say to Bill while she was soaking but she just couldn't get passed picturing his blue eyes gazing at her so she simply gave up and decided she would have to wing it.

By the time she got dressed, tidied up her hair tucking in any stray ends like the way she had been shown and fluffed up her make-up, adding a touch of lip gloss to her already lip sticked mouth, she was nearly ready to go. On her way out she stopped to check her emails and was surprised to find one from Walt Sawyer. He had wanted to assure her that should she want to go ahead with project he would help her out any way he could and if she ever needed a hand with anything she only had to call on him and he would be there.

She was touched by his thoughtfulness and made a mental note that depending on how things went with Bill tonight, she would drive over and see Walt tomorrow. Others may think that to throw herself back into life so soon after the loss of Alcide was positively crazy and indecent but one thing the past few years had taught her was that time didn't really matter, it could be gone in the blink of an eye and you never got it back, nothing ever stayed the same, everything was changing. You had to grab life while you had it and make the most of it. She had spent far too much time and effort doing things that she either didn't want to or had been forced into and no-where near enough doing something that really meant anything and she was darned sure that from now on it was all going to change.

Picking up her keys she was just heading for the front door when she heard a car pull up. Drat it. What makes God laugh, telling him your future plans she thought to herself as she looked at her watch hoping like hell that whoever it was wasn't going to take up too much of her time. Hardly anyone ever came to visit her and now just as she had something really important to do she had a visitor. Wouldn't that just figure?

She peeped out the window and much to her surprise she saw Jason climbing out of his pick-up truck. Hmm, okay he had said he would call her but she hadn't really thought that he meant it. Maybe she had misjudged him going on the fact that he had actually bothered to come over in person. There didn't seem to be too much family love between the two of them these days, particularly not with Violet around. That vamp sure did give her some very strange looks and not the ones that she was normally used to coming from the undead.

She really didn't get why. What was she to Violet? She didn't even really know her. They had only met after Jason had come back from the place that she had heard Sarah Newlin had been in. Some kind of facility according to what Arlene had vaguely gotten from James, her vampire, so why did Sookie have the feeling that Violet would love to stake her.

'Sookie,' Jason nodded as he walked up the porch steps. Gees, he had nodded to her, the longer he was with Violet the more vampirish he was becoming. Who would have thought, she wondered as she quickly pondered just what his feelings for her were exactly, then put the thought out of her mind. It was none of her business she decided. At least he looked a little better than he had for a while now and that was something.

His eyes ran over her as she walked into the kitchen with him to get him a drink after inviting him in. 'You look…' he hesitated, it wouldn't be fitting to say to someone that they looked fantastic when they had just lost a loved one but he couldn't help thinking that she did. He had never seen her looking so… what was the right word he wondered, so polished. Yeh that was it, she looked kind of sophisticated and a bit glamorous and not at all like his kid sister. He found his voice again. 'You look like you are doing okay?'

She looked down at the floor a little embarrassed by what she knew he was thinking but then lifted her eyes to meet his. 'I have been doing a lot of thinking lately and realised a few things. I want a new beginning Jason. I want to start all over and try, if I can, to start making up for mistakes that I have made. I don't exactly like who I have been a whole lot and if I can, I want to start afresh.' She held her hand up as he was about to speak and shushed him. 'I know that a whole lot of people aren't going to be too believing when I say this, maybe you included, but I really do mean it and I have thought of a way that I can start doing it so I just wanted to get your approval.'

He blinked. That was a whole lot of information to give some thought to and he wasn't that quick a thinker but one thing about Jason, he knew Sookie and he knew when she was being sincere and this was one of those times.

'Okay, so what did you have in mind,' he responded, willing to at least hear her out.


	19. Chapter 19

Jason stood waiting for Sookie to speak. He had grown up a lot in the last few years too and with Violet for a partner she had given him a bit more of a stable relationship than he had been in for quite a while. He had come to realise that after everything he had witnessed at the camp he had a new respect for vampires now and Violet was part of that.

She was experienced in the ways of the world and had taught him so much. Okay, that he had learnt the hard way at first hadn't sat well with him and with Violet you didn't have a choice really, you just did as you were told or paid the consequences but that was okay with him, he felt the better for it and had finally settled down to a monogamous way of life after all these years.

He knew that he wasn't getting any younger and he didn't have that many options left really after all he had been with just about every female in the parish, alive or dead, so he considered himself to be pretty lucky really to not end up an old and lonely man or worse. But now he didn't think that would happen and he was pretty content with where he was at right at this moment in time.

So he was willing to hear Sookie out for what it was worth despite the previous misgivings he had felt he could lay at her feet. Violet of course would not entirely agree with him on that score. He pushed aside the scenes at the camp that he had witnessed. The horror of the torture rooms, the piles of what was left of the vampires that he had hated so much previously but come to understand in a way that he could never have imagined, and he pushed away the compassion in Violet's voice as she spoke in hushed awe of Bill's sacrifice to save them all at his own expense.

He tried to ignore the injustice of Bill's situation when he had once again come to her rescue in Faery and he had been willing to sacrifice himself yet again to save her by taking on Warlow despite the possibility it would mean his death or worse. He didn't even want to think of Bill lying in front of her house after barely escaping and following Warlow in a last attempt to free her once and for all from his clutches.

The vamps had told him all now that he was seen to well and truly belong to Violet but he was trying to be fair and give Sookie the benefit of the doubt. Jason had done his time judging her if she really meant that she had changed. It was up to her to make her own peace with the vamps and he had the feeling that might be a long time coming, on their part at least because not one of them could put aside what they saw as her stupidity in doubting Bill's love for her. They may be a lot of things but vampires are certainly not stupid and they are fiercely loyal when the mood takes them.

He pushed it all to the back of his mind but not quickly enough. Sookie hadn't meant to but his thoughts had been so emotionally charged that before she even thought about it they projected into her mind and she literally staggered on her heels at the vision of Bill lying prostrate, bloodied, weak and abandoned, life oozing out of him with the darkness of final death slowly filling his veins with its relentless icy nothingness. She gasped at the pain that shot through her and gave a small sob.

'Sookie, Sook I am so sorry,' Jason exclaimed. 'I didn't mean to, I didn't think, I mean I did think but I didn't mean for you to know what I was thinking,' he fumbled on in a jumble realising by the shocked look on her face that she really had no idea of just how bad things had been for Bill and how much he had suffered. 'I didn't know that you didn't know.' She looked like she was going to throw up. Hell this sucked he thought but then he remembered the suffering of the vamps and how even now there were times that Violet became morose thinking about it all. Maybe, just maybe it would be a good thing for Sookie to finally see the truth and see how hurtful it must have been for Bill after being the one that had attempted her rescue from Warlow and all the other times he had been there for her, only to have things thrown in his face at every turn. If it hadn't been for Bill she would now be dead or worse.

She straightened up a little and swallowed hard before saying anything then quietly she said, 'Tell me.' Her voice was so soft he had barely heard her but just the same that made it even more compelling.

Then he talked. He talked and she listened. Her hand gripped the back of the kitchen chair for support. Her knuckles white with the strain as she clung on to it like a dying man would to a life boat. And she listened. She endured every single minute of the whole sad and sorry story that Jason told her, gathered from Violet's own experience at the facility and garnered with insights Jessica had confided in her new friend, Jess being forever grateful to the older vampire for her part in the care of Bill as he lay there dying.

Jason's voice trailed off as he looked on with pity in his eyes at his sister. The thought that she had never really known what had happened to Bill had never occurred to him and he now understood a little more clearly what he had taken to be her callous actions over the past were due to her ignorance more than anything else, or so he hoped. He stood there nervously waiting for her to say something, anything really to break the silence and when she finally spoke he was relieved.

'Thank you,' her voice was small and coming from a deep place inside of her. 'I didn't know it was like that. God how could he ever have found the strength to forgive me,' she was asking half to herself, disregarding her brother's presence, her face a mask of wonder at how forgiving Bill was of her as she thought of the other night. He had come to her thinking only of her wellbeing in her time of need when really she wouldn't blame him if he never wanted to see her again after what could only be seen as her betrayal of him by her treatment of him.

She sagged a little and Jason, fearful that she was going to pass out, took her in his arms and helped her into the parlour, sitting her down gently on one of the couches. It was painful to watch her going through this, life sucked badly at times he kept saying to himself. He sat holding her until she finally straightened up and regained some composure.

'Thanks Jase, I am okay now,' she tried to reassure him with a watery smile that did little to dispel his concerns. 'Really I am.' 'Well okay, if you say so sis cause I have to get going soon, Violet will be up and waiting for me to get home. So umm, what was it that you wanted to see me about?' He was hoping that the change of topic would take her mind off things and also he was curious too.

'Oh okay, you should go, I don't want to keep you from Violet.' He looked hurriedly at his watch and then assured he had a couple of minutes to spare if it wouldn't take long. 'Well it's like this, you see…' she then went on to tell him of her make shift plans and hoped that he would approve. 'That's a great idea Sook, lord knows with the influx of new residents we sure could use some affordable housing. And thanks for letting me know. I know that you and I have had our differences and well I know I did kind of go a bit crazy after Grans died and all that, and then when you went missing and I sold the house … well, that's in the past I hope and we can move forward.'

He got up and she walked him to the door. 'Thanks for letting me know. I know that you didn't have to so I appreciate it. And as for your plan, that might just go a long way in making things around here a bit better for you and all.'

He was trying to be as tactful as he could and she understood where he was coming from. Yep, Jason had done his fair share of growing up too she thought as she waved him off from the porch. This was the best place their relationship had been in for years she realised as she walked back in and went to the bathroom to repair the damage the last hour or so had done to her make-up before checking the time and deciding that it wasn't too late to pay a call on Bill. After what she had learnt tonight she needed all the courage in the world to face him and if she didn't do it now, while she still had the strength, she knew that she would never be able to face him again.

She drove over and parked her new car at the side of the gravelled driveway and sat for a moment looking around. The place sure had changed since that first visit long ago now, the night that she and Bill had visited with Grans, Tara and Jason and Jase had been so very hostile towards Bill. It was a life time ago but just like yesterday really she thought as she walked across the lawn and felt his cool lips on hers in their first kiss, relived the look on his face as he turned away ashamed of the reaction he had from the arousal he was feeling and she thought of the control that he must have had not to take her then and there instead of doing the gentlemanly thing and walking her home as he did.

She shook her head at herself. She had been blind to so many things, in denial and doubting of him when she had no reason to be. Russell Edgington had hinted at how much Bill must have loved her to restrain himself the way that he did but it just hadn't sunk in with her at the time. So much hadn't that she was so ashamed of now.

She almost stopped and turned around seeking the safety of her car and escape from facing him now that she knew that truth of his sacrifice but her legs were shaking that much that she didn't think she would even make it that far. No, there was no getting out of it, she had to do this, she had to face him and hope that she could hold it together enough to ask him for yet one more favour, not for her but for her project.

She straightened up, counted to five and kept moving, climbing the porch steps quietly then knocked on the door. She waited for what seemed like an eternity, her heart beating so loudly in her ears that she thought that when Bill would finally open the door he would be able to hear it but when the door opened it wasn't Bill, instead standing in front of her in a fluffy towelling bathrobe stood Katie, her hair wet and looking a little breathless.

'Oh,' Sookie let slip before she could stop herself as she took in the vision in front of her and went red with embarrassment thinking the worst of the situation. She must have interrupted them because it had taken so long for her to come to the door. Her heart gave a small lurch of pain imagining them in the bedroom together after making love, or even making love in Bill's big spa bath as she had done so many times with Bill in the past, and it hurt. The imagined thought hurt her more than she wanted to admit.

'Oh I … I am sorry to disturb you Katie I wanted to see Bill,' she tried to make her voice as neutral and as professional as possible to mask the real feelings that were engulfing her and she hoped like hell she had because she didn't want to appear anything other than competent in front of the other woman.

'Sookie,' Katie said quietly looking her up and down appraising her outfit, her make-up and her general appearance in a casual but studied way that kind of made Sookie feel like she was some sort of specimen for a scientific experiment whether Katie had meant to or not. 'Could I see Bill please?' she asked again feeling the uncomfortable situation wasn't something that she wanted to prolong and if she stood there for too long she would lose her nerve and flee.

'No, no you can't Sookie, you can't see Bill,' Katie replied.


	20. Chapter 20

Robert Geoffrey Stonewall Adler was at the impressionable grand old age of six as he was sitting in his parent's parlour watching their black and white television when a news flash broke into his favourite cartoon show. Dateline: 23 November 1963 Dallas Texas, President John F Kennedy has been shot. The motorcade in which the President….he didn't hear the rest as he ran to the kitchen to tell his parents.

His life may have been totally different had he been in the kitchen with them instead of witnessing that newsflash but destiny is what it is and from that moment forward the course of his life was set. He knew that there was only one thing in his life now that would ever mean anything to him. He wanted to, and was determined to, become a politician. Not just some small town wannabe either, no he was going to go all the way. He was going to Washington.

The fact that by the end of the seventies and start of the eighties he had nearly derailed himself of his own doing did little to dispel that right now, he had accomplished what he had intended. Even this latest crisis didn't faze him.

You see he knew something that very few people knew. He knew Bill Compton.

'You Sir, and your kind,' the pasty red faced sweating figure sitting across the boardroom like huge expanse of table from Bill, spat out at him, 'are parasites leeching off humanity. You are an abomination.' Bill sat perfectly still, a white marble statue with his blue eyes blazing as he stared at the poor excuse of an elected Federal official. His face had blanched at the words, turning a whiter shade of pale. He clenched his hands in his pockets hidden beneath the desk but it was hard for him to hide his fangs, fighting to stop them as they began to run out in response to the anger, and if anything, the disappointment he was feeling.

An abomination, isn't that what he had thought of himself so many times in the past if truth be told, but this kind of thinking was simply not going to do anything to help the situation they were all facing. Rhetoric was a thing of the past, there was no time to espouse abhorrence, excessive verbosity was merely a waste of precious time and time was so short, it was action that was needed now, not finger pointing at something that couldn't be changed and he had no control over.

Still it was not as though he hadn't expected it. It was the red neck way of thinking, the shoot first and ask questions later knee jerk reaction. He had seen the same thing after the war with the birth of the Klan. Things never changed, he sighed to himself, but he had hoped that as this was a specially selected panel answerable only to the president that it would be different. He shrugged, no one is impervious to stupidity are they he asked himself. Clearing his throat he moved the microphone a little closer to him and spoke softly, his voice measured as he tempered his words.

'Senator Smith I can understand your mistrust and even your bitterness towards my kind but I would like to remind you and all your esteemed colleagues,' he took his time slowly looking up and down the line of the panel sitting opposite him, catching each one's eyes for a moment before moving on to the next, 'the situation as it stands today was not of my people's making and let me make it clear, I am not complaining just merely explaining.' He paused to emphasis the point then went on.

'With all due respect to the office that you hold, it was deliberately and thoughtlessly bought about by one of your very own colleagues. Before you say anything,' he held up his hand to quiet the expected tumult his comments would make, 'I realise or hope,' he looked around the table again, 'that no one here present had anything to do with the heinous actions the former governor and his associates unleashed but not just my peoples but the peoples of the world, so I ask you to all put aside any personal feelings you may have against my race and urge you to work together for the mutual benefit of all kinds in this world. Gentleman, I can assure that you if you don't then….'he paused to add emphasis to his next words, 'if you don't, then we are all doomed to a folly of catastrophic proportions. And let me assure you all, that is not a threat on my part, it is merely the facts of the matter.'

You could have heard a pin drop in the room. It was so silent Bill could hear the heartbeats of every human present and he noted with satisfaction that they were raised more than a little than normal. Good he was thinking to himself, he had made his point and now time would tell whether they listened or not.

He had hurriedly left Sookie's house fighting with himself to stay true to his pledge to let her go and upon reaching home he had received a message that he had been summoned to a meeting in Washington in a few days' time. It was short notice but that meant nothing to him. He had been expecting it really after the incident that had happened in Texas a while back where the small town chosen to roll out the same program he and Sam had developed for Bon Temps months ago had almost been left in tatters when one of the vampires chosen to be paired with their human had gone too far and nearly drained the life out of their human.

It was a crisis that had been averted when Bill had come up with DA – Draining Anonymous, a hastily developed plan for those finding it challenging when feeding not to go too far. Bill had based it on the Alcoholics Anonymous system of meetings - a support for those that were struggling in their attempts to maintain the program and not drain despite the temptation. After all, there were those like himself that had been living a mainstream life on True Blood for quite a while now and to suddenly be offered blood, real live fresh and warm human blood, well it was understandably a big temptation. Since implementation of the DA system there had been no further incidents.

He supposed that this meeting before a select committee formed and exclusively reporting directly to the highest office in the land would be requiring an up to date report on the success and failures the system entailed. He was glad that he had Jess to assist him and meticulously document every step they took, it would be invaluable support that he would present to the committee members. And for those nay Sayers and haters, well the facts were the in front them, they couldn't be denied. His system worked.

Now here he was in Washington presenting yet another report and battling the usual prejudices while at the same time hoping that sooner, rather than later, life would return to some semblance of normality if that could be possible given his situation.

'Thank you Mr Compton, I am sure that once everyone here has had time to peruse your documentation it will be evident that we are moving forward. After all, no one in this day and age wants to go back to the bad old days of witch burning. We are not the Spanish Inquisition here, we are here to work hand in hand and live together for the betterment of all living things. Meeting adjourned gentlemen.'

Senator Adler rose from the table, making it clear to all those present that he was in charge and that what he said goes. As the others filed out of the room Bill and Jessica gathered their notes and closed down the laptop she had been using to record the notes of the meeting. They were just about to leave when Robert Adler joined them.


	21. Chapter 21

'Bill, Jessica,' Robert nodded acknowledgement, 'good to see you here and before you say anything, Mr President sends his regards and thanks for the job you are doing. He'd like to meet again as soon as possible,' he smiled glancing at his watch, 'he is anxious to hear what news you have for him about Project New Age.' The project name referred to the research Bill had arranged to be undertaken by Dr Tagahashi and a small very select group of brilliant scientists that only the President and Bill, plus a few close confidants including Jessica, were privy to. Even Robert did not know the full extent of the details but he knew enough. He knew that Bill was the President's vampire and that was good enough for him.

There had been rum

ours going around the Washington secret services for years of the legend of the President's vampire but no one had taken it seriously. Not until vampires came out of the closet that is, then speculation was limited to those who were in the know and the inevitable misinformation campaign commenced in case someone in the general public put two and two together and started asking difficult questions like if the government had known for decades of the existence of vampires, had there been a huge cover up and if so, then for how long had it been going on.

References to the myth of President Andrew Johnson's vampire back in the 1860's were poo-poohed and concealed with a cover story and a few fictional paperbacks leading readers to delegate the theory into one of those great reads but only fantasy fiction genre type scenarios, dismissing it as just that, but the fact remained that the President had commuted a sentence given to an alleged vampire back then and he had the said person committed to a mental institution for the term of the rest of his life.

Of course Bill wasn't that President's vampire of legend, he had not been turned when the event is said to have occurred, but he certainly was this President's vampire now and that came about because fate had been stranger than fiction.

Robert Adler had lived through Watergate, studied at university and by the late seventies was at a loose end. He was uninspired by what he saw as a conservative swing coming as far as politics was concerned and decided he had had enough. Withdrawing all the money that he had from the bank, which wasn't much, he bought a plane ticket and by the end of the week he was in London, the home of parliament, the establishment and a growing discontent with the way things were going in the UK.

Punk rock and anarchy was the rule amongst the working class youths that felt disenfranchised by baby boomer parents who had promised the world and delivered nothing of the flower power peace and love ideology, and were now embittered by their lot and lack of direction. Despite all the rhetoric espoused, money and title still counted to some degree and not the working class social morals, so there was a section of youth that flocked together in their disenfranchisement, determined to worship chaos if nothing better was to be available. He found it all fascinating.

To make a living as best as he could he took a job pulling beers in a club that was at the centre of the new movement and within two years was talking like a native. He embraced anything and everything like a sponge and even took to calling himself Liam just to feel more like one of the locals.

Everything in his life was cruising along, no fuss, just plodding, until one night Bill Compton walked in and it all changed. He couldn't remember details clearly but he remembered his face and he remembered the advice he had been given after their encounter.

He had gone back to his shabby little bedsit that night and taken stock of where he was at in his life and where he was going, and he suddenly realised that the dream and ambitions he had so hastily thrown away were too precious to waste. Within a month he had gotten his act together. He had stopped boozing and stopped the other things in his life that were part and parcel of his great experiment into the unknown. He was eating better and taking vitamins. His head cleared and he knew what he wanted to do. He was focussed and determined again. He was also back in the states, his career back on track and he was on his way to his destiny.

So it was no surprise when taking a well-earned break from work one night after another long hard day a while back that he sat up and stared hard at the vision in front of him on the TV. The face of one that can't be forgotten stared out as the reporter simmered and purred in admiration for William Thomas Compton, vampire King of Louisiana. Well that explains a lot Robert realised as he thought back to Liam and the encounter that changed his life.

When things began to fall apart and the True Blood factories were destroyed Robert, now in his capacity as advisor to the President, had been summoned. It was behind closed doors in the oval office that he had proposed a meeting between the President and Bill in an effort to do something about the situation, by this time Bill's reputation as a leader and someone to be taken notice of was established. Even the President had read his book "And God Bleeds" and had been intrigued and inspired by the no punches tome, a creature like Bill with his convictions was worthy of praise and may be able to provide advice. They were desperate with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

When Robert contacted Bill for the first time he had no real expectations that Bill would remember him or their encounter but he was wrong. 'I remember it well Liam or should I say Robert,' Bill confirmed, what didn't he remember having a photo graphic memory that recalled every single moment of his vampire existence, 'it may have been a while for you but it is the blink of an eye for me. How can I help you?' That night they talked for hours and by the end of the conversation they had formed a tight bond of mutual respect on both sides.

So Robert had been pleased to set up a meeting in Washington with the highest office in the land, even though he was to present at some of it but not privy to all details. All he knew was that Bill had been in there for over two hours and when he left, the attitude of doom and gloom that had been pervading the room had lifted. The President had hope and that was good enough for him, Bill was the most impressive creature he had ever come across and the thanks of the President for the introduction to him only reaffirmed Robert's beliefs.

'How is Mr President Robert?' Bill asked as he stood in the conference room with Jessica by his side. He had seen Presidents come and go and not given much thought to some, and a great deal of thought to others. Some impressed him but others didn't. This current President was an exception. He was the first one he had actually met and he had been surprised by how open minded and willing to support the steps Bill was taking to circumvent further disasters and put an end to the current situation.

Taking him into his confidence, and who wouldn't for after all it is the President of the United States of America we are talking about here, Bill put his cards on the table. The information he had disclosed had left the other staggered with wonder and not just at the brilliance of Bill's plan but at the methods he was using and were at his disposal. The world was on the brink of a New Age if only they could embrace it as one and make it work. The possibilities were mind blowing.

When vampires had come out the President had not considered fully the possibilities of the truth and all that it entailed but Bill opened his eyes when he explained that not only had he contemplated using Dr Tagahashi to search for a cure for the vampire infection epidemic but also those other great minds at his disposal. When Bill had rattled off a list of names of those that were available for assistance the President was incredulous. Bill smiled at little. Isn't that the exact same reaction he had when all that time ago Nan Flanagan had hinted of Louis Pasteur and other great minds being of their kind, his own kind, and now he was looking at the highest official of the land and watching him take it all in with the same look of awe he too had felt, and it rather tickled his fancy.

Bill had been given carte-blanche, spare no expense he had been advised, nothing should impede the immediate commencement of the research. So he had approached Tagahashi and broached the topic with those minds that he thought would be open to the challenge, all great thinkers and wise enough to know that their very existence depended upon the results they hoped to be achieved.

Everything fell into place and even though the first three or four months bought little in the way of good news, the regular reports he was receiving now were encouraging to Bill. He was hopeful that sooner, rather than later, something would break through and he would be able to report success.

'Bill where were you the other night?' Jessica's question didn't surprise Bill one bit but he took a moment before answering. He was driving them from their impromptu meeting at the White House, Robert arranging it once it was known that Bill had time and was agreeable to the suggestion, and of course it fitting in with the President's busy schedule.

It was late now and dawn was only a few hours away, parting with Robert urging Bill to 'fight on mate' as they left, they had enough time to get to the airport and aboard an Anubis flight that was at their disposal courtesy of those above in the know, and then out of the light and on their way back home to Bon Temps and a day's rest.

He took his eyes off the road ahead for a moment to give Jess a sheepish glance. She knew very well where he had been without asking but still she wanted confirmation. He hadn't said anything to her but she was so very protective of him now that she almost felt it a compulsion to ask about his visit with Sookie.

'Bill, don't give me that look. I can't help it, I am sorry but you know how I feel. I just want you to be happy and you haven't been happy, really happy, for so long.' Bill sighed. 'You are my daughter and my progeny Jessica, what more can a man want. You are my happiness. I owe you everything.' He reached over with one of his hands and held hers as he continued to drive. 'You were there for me when no one else was. You kept me human, kept me safe from… you kept me safe and you and James came back for me. I … I was fading Jess, I didn't want to leave and was fighting it but I was slipping into a final darkness then you appeared and it was light again. Her job done, Lillith was leaving and taking what was left of me with her.'

Bloody tears sprang into Jessica's eyes as he spoke. He had not talked of that time, not spoken of what it was like to have a goddess within and she had not asked. She couldn't, it was too painful to even recall. All she could do was to be there for him if he needed her and that was enough for her. But still she did wonder what it was like, what it must have done to him to go against his very nature becoming so ruthless and then to feel almost abandoned by those that he had protected and saved.

'Don't get me wrong,' he went on, 'in some ways I am so very grateful to Lily.' Jessica's eyes went as big as saucers trying to digest what he had just said. He was grateful to her, to Lillith…Lily? She looked at him.

'What,' he asked glancing quickly at her. 'Don't you realise that if it had not been for Lily, Lillith, I would not have had the strength to do what I had to do to save our kind? She may be a lot of things but she knew that I would fight heaven and hell to protect you and others from the true death. I suppose that is why I was chosen, because she saw what was coming and needed me to act on her behalf. Jess I couldn't have done it on my own. I am not that strong.'

He went on with his explanation, 'I am young in vampire terms and that was useful to her. I was like clay in her hands for her to mould into whatever it was that she needed. She is smart as well as ruthless and she knew what she was doing. I think that I surprised her when I stood up to her in my own way but that was for her, and for our benefit and thankfully it paid off to some extent but it was such touch and go to keep that small thread of humanity intact. Had she chosen someone else that was stronger, older and darker then who knows what kind of monster they may have become. But I tell you this now, it was you that saved me in the end, you and James and Violet too for that matter, your love saved me and not just from the true death. You saved me from the darkness and saved me from myself.'

Jessica sat silently listening, taking in what he was telling her. She had not thought of it that way before but he was right. If Lillith had chosen someone of a lesser character then who knows where we would be now? She squeezed his hand and raised it to her lips, softly kissing his creamy skin. 'Well then, I am glad that she did but Bill, it was a high price that you paid for the sake of me and all of us. A very high price,' she reiterated with feeling.

She thought for a few more minutes and then decided it was now or never. 'Bill, do you think, is it possible that well, now that Alcide is gone, is there any chance for you and Sookie?' she asked of him, taking advantage of his reflective mood.

'There was never much of a chance Jess,' he sighed. 'I had hope, I always had a spark of hope but,' he shook his head.

'Right from the start we were doomed to fail.'

Notes:

***Please note***

***Please note***

President Andrew Johnson vampire story - reference:  
Nov. 4, 1892 in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Source:

Brooklyn Public Library has the Eagle's archives online - image of the article from 1892.


	22. Chapter 22

'There was never much of a chance Jess. Right from the start we were doomed to fail.' 'But you loved her and even now you still do and you have always been there for her,' Jess objected. She was still such a young vampire that she was unwilling to accept the fact that happy ever afters were not necessarily the stuff that life is made of. 'Not always,' Bill replied bitterly, his thoughts going back to the night that he had been held up and barely arrived in time to save her from the Rattrays.

It was rather ironical that it had been Eric that had told Sookie of his mission for Queen Sophie Ann and her interest in Sookie in the first place as it was a phone call from Eric that had held him up. He had often suspected that it was more than just chance that it had played out that way but he had no proof so to be fair he had never explained to Sookie the circumstances of the events. Not that she would have listened but also, he had hoped that her love and belief in him would have been enough to hold them together. Sadly it wasn't.

Of his other misdemeanour's, and in Sookie's eyes there were many, he had nothing to apologise for. He had done what he had felt was best for her interests at the time, whether that was right or wrong couldn't be helped. They were done and nothing would take them back. He had little choice as far as it went when it came to saving the vampires and if Sookie had cared for her friends and not been enamoured by Warlow, she would have seen that and recognised what a desperate position he was in. Sacrificing any slim chance that he had for reconciliation with her was a small price to pay for saving Jessica and his kind. It was his fate to be vampire and hers to be fae. That was all there was to it.

'Bill what do you mean not always?' In all the time that they had been together she had never known what it was that had really come between the two of them and had really wondered. It had to have been something really big for it to have come between them like it had.

Bill thought for a moment before saying anything. Did he really want to go down this path with Jess, she had enough on her plate but then a wave such of deep love for her swamped him that he almost felt that he owed it to her to tell her the whole truth, after all it was because he hadn't been totally open with Sookie that it had eventually come out and separated them. Well that and amongst other things. So as he continued to drive he told her everything, the Rattray incident, the marriage proposal and the aftermath of his kidnapping and what that led to, and of his speech to her at the Authority building when finally, in his miserable desperation for some dignity, he had chosen the only path left open to him. He bared his soul to his child and held nothing back.

'You are my progeny but you are my daughter and my savour, I owed you an explanation for what it is worth, warts and all. So you see Jess, in Sookie's eyes there is a lot that she has to hold me at askance for.' 'Bill if you could go back, if you could change just one thing but in changing it then it would mean that you weren't the one chosen by Lilith and things may be very different right now, would you do it? Would you put your own happiness before everyone's survival including maybe your own?'

'No of course not, you know me better than that.' 'Well then, like I said you have paid a high price. Does Sookie know that it was you that came to rescue her from Warlow? That you saved her from being turned?' 'I don't know Jess and I guess that I never will now but that doesn't matter really. It's done and it's over. We… we have more or less forgiven each other. She seemed to have changed when I saw her,' he said by way of explanation, 'and by the way, I told her that you have agreed to protect her and she didn't object. She was surprised but she knows that you are doing it for me and not for her and I am grateful to you for that, I know that you have been keeping vigil already and I can't thank you enough.'

They were turning into the airport and heading over to the private hanger now so she didn't have a chance to keep the conversation going but she sure had a lot to think about. She understood where Bill was coming from and could respect that but still, her heart hurt for what she saw as the unfairness of it all. She loved him beyond measure. He was her world.

'Bill,' Jess said quietly, 'Hmm?' he responded absent mindedly as they lay in their travel pods waiting for the dawn to break as their Anubis jet was winging its way back home. 'What is happiness, what makes you happy?' He thought for a moment. 'If you had asked me that one hundred and seventy years ago I would have said a good crop, food on the table, holding my children on my knees and …' his voice cracked a little with emotion, 'my beloved wife. But Jess times have changed and so have I.'

'I love you Bill.' 'I love you too Jess, more than you will ever know.' 'Bill,' her voice was soft now as she struggled to articulate what was really on her mind. 'Yes Jess,' he responded patiently. 'If … if happiness is with Sookie, if that will make you happy then I will ….' Dawn broke and whatever she had been going to say lay unsaid between them as the darkness of their eternal night overcame them and they slipped into the oblivion that was their sleep.

Even though the flight between Washington and Shreveport was only some two and a half hours, it was not until that evening when Bill and Jess awoke that they found themselves safely home transported securely by Bill's security guards and deposited in their rooms safely. Katie had left a message for them to say that she was off interviewing local residents to get their thoughts about how the program was working and was going to shoot some footage with Maxine Fortenbury and her vampire, someone by the name of Pamela Swynford De Beaufort she noted, and said not to worry if she was back late.

Bill rolled his eyes as he still found it somewhat bewildering when thinking of Pam, feisty, intolerant, no punching Pam and Maxine Fortenbury relying on each other. One for sustenance and the other for protection, strange bedfellows, he smiled to himself. Enough of that however as he had other things more pressing to deal with, so making his way to his office he turned on his laptop and logged into Skype. Checking his contact list to see who was on line he found the name he was searching for and clicked on the video call button. Within a few moments the face of Dr Tagahashi appeared on the screen.

'Mr Compton, good to see you again,' he nodded his greetings, 'I was going to contact you shortly, once I had finished a few more tests.' 'Please call me Bill,' he urged the Doctor once again as he always did when talking to him, in an attempt to put the scientist at ease. 'Do you have any news for me, what progress if any have you made?' Bill asked eagerly, hoping that there had been some kind of developments, any kind of advancement really to show for the last months of research.

'Well yes, I think that we can say that we may have identified the cause of the infection and that in itself is a momentous breakthrough. Once we have completed our experiments and have confirmed our theory we can then begin testing a solution. I hope that you will not be angry,' he went on hesitatingly, 'but I have taken the liberty of contacting a colleague of mine, Dr Saul Heisenberg. He has been working over at Los Polous Pharmaceuticals in the development lab there and has a fine brain for chemistry. I have shown him the tentative conclusions my tests have shown and he has already made some head way on what we believe will be a serum that will negate the virus. We will use a silver oxide base but we need something else, something that I am just not sure if it can be developed synthetically. Of course getting the solution to the host is problematical but again we think that we may have the answer to that too.'

'Mr Compt…. Bill, I don't want to raise your hopes too much, it is early days and under normal circumstances research such as this would take years before we would be satisfied of achieving success but I am well aware of the urgency required to bring about some kind of solution as quickly as possible. In general we scientists have a tried and true formula to our research that is quite simple. We observe, hypothesise, predict, experiment and conclude and these steps take time but of course that is something that I can appreciate we don't have so we have ….cut some corners,' he almost cringed, so against his nature was it to take this kind of action, 'in short Bill, we are getting close but have yet to create an alpha… a dominate that holds the key to making it all work.'

'That's wonderful news. I know that the President assured me that anything that you need, anything at all, is at your disposal. You only need to ask and I can arrange it.' 'We have everything thank you. The facilities are first class. It is a pleasure to work here for myself and my esteemed colleagues. We will be conducting tests over the next couple of days on the two vamp…. on two of the infected of your kind,' he said rather delicately and as diplomatically as possible for one with a scientific mind and not normally known to remember the niceties of polite society, having little to do with it under normal circumstances, 'I will let you know of the results as soon as I have them.'

'That's fine,' Bill smiled a little, 'now if there is nothing else?' he asked as he was about to sign off. 'Well there is something,' Tagahashi seemed somewhat uncomfortable now broaching the subject. 'Yes, what is it?' Bill asked as he studied the other's face. 'The samples of blood that you provided originally for our study…' Bill was at a loss as to why the Doctor was so hesitant to go on. 'Yes, the samples, what about them?' he queried. 'Well if I am not mistaken one was a sample of your own blood?' 'That's correct, what of it?'

'When making comparisons of the molecular structure to other samples you provided, for example of your progeny Jessica or that of the others of your kind….' Bill would have held his breath if he was a living creature now, Tagahashi had his full attention. 'Yes, please go on.' 'Well we found something very different about the structure. Something that ... if I could only remember but I am sure that I have seen it somewhere once before, I just can't seem to recall where and why.'

'But one thing I do know Bill, even for a vampire, you have very unusual and special qualities to your blood. Apart from finding traces of human DNA, which in itself I find extraordinary for a vampire, there was something else, something ….singular, distinctive and unique. It is specific and out of the ordinary…'

'It is elite, a mixture of … "race" is the only way that I can put it to you, but of what races I am not really sure until further testing and other samples to test against become available. I have the feeling that I have only come across something similar, but not quite the same to this once but…' he scratched his head, 'I am simply at a loss to recall where and under what circumstances. It may hold the answer to what we are looking for.'

'Bill if I may ask, do you have any living human relatives? Is there anyone still living descended from you, preferably a younger generation that has,' he paused thinking of the best way to put it, 'well anything different about them? It would be of great help if you did and we could run some further tests. What we need is a constant, something that would prove a theory that I have and may be the missing link to the formula that we need.'


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

'No, no you can't Sookie, you can't see Bill,' Katie replied. Under normal circumstances this would have been met with hostility from Sookie but upon quick reflection she felt it was no more than she felt she deserved. Quickly turning she was about to start back to the car when Katie stopped her. 'I'm sorry, I don't think that you quite understand, it's not what you think Sookie, it didn't quite come out the way it should have. I think you have taken it to mean something else,' she was attempting to placate her visitor, rather regretting the thought that Sookie had misconstrued her meaning.

'You can't see Bill because he isn't here. Bill and Jessica have had to go to Washington on vampire business. He has a meeting before a Presidential committee that he reports to.' 'Oh, oh I see. Well thanks for the information Katie. Next time I will call to make sure he is available.' She put on her very best polite smile and again was about to leave but was stopped. 'Is there anything that I can do for you Sookie?' Katie asked politely.

As hard as she tried, the attractive reporter just couldn't forgive or overlook the pain that Sookie had been responsible for when it came to Bill. She would never forget his white and drained face bloodied from the tears he had shed as he unburdened himself to her but she knew her manners and was attempting a modicum of acceptable civility despite her deep resentment for what she saw as a selfish, immature and self-centred woman.

'Thanks Katie. Could you pass on to Bill that I need to see him please if it's no imposition?' she responded, grateful for the offer. 'It's in regards to a business matter,' she added hastily, not wishing to give the other the wrong impression. She didn't want her to think that she was one of those woman that went chasing after someone else's man or vamp once they had moved on. A twinge tugged at her heart when she thought of this but she stiffened her spine and gathered her dignity around her, determined not to show anything other a professional demeanour in front of the reporter.

'I'll make sure he gets the message Sookie, as soon as he gets back I will let him know.' 'Well thanks for that. You all have a great night,' and smiling with that smile reserved for those difficult situations she always seemed to find herself in, she walked as sedately as she could to her car and drove off. As she left she had the distinct feeling that Katie had remained on the porch watching her but she didn't look back. She didn't need to really, she was dogged in her determination not to let Katie see just how much finding her there had hurt her, the realisation that she really was part of Bill's life hitting her like a punch to her stomach. And there was nothing that she could do to change it.

As Sookie turned out of Bill's drive she looked at the clock on her space age dashboard and decided that it was still early and she really didn't fancy going home to an empty house. She hated to admit it to herself but she was rattled. She had been so focussed on seeing Bill and holding it together that she hadn't even given a thought to the possibility that Katie would be there. She should have realised that she would be but she just didn't think of it and was kicking herself for it. Now here she was dressed up and heading home.

Suddenly she had the urge do something different. She couldn't really face going home and rattling around in her empty house then going to bed and trying to sleep. She realised that her nerves had been tighter than a drum in the last few hours, days, months… hell, years for that matter, she smiled grimly to herself, and she needed to find some relaxation even if it was only a for a few minutes. I'll grab a coffee and piece of pie at the diner in town. I haven't been there for a coon's age she thought to herself as she headed into the village. Hell, I haven't been there since the night that Sam and I went coffee after Bill's talk at the meeting of the Descendants of the Glorious Dead….the night that Grans died she reflected. No, I am not going down that road, I am not visiting that place in my head right now she told herself.

She hadn't expected the small diner to be as crowded as it was but the place was really jumping. The booths running down to the right of the entrance were mostly filled with people that under close scrutiny she didn't recognise and she was kind of glad of that. It may have been a bit awkward running into anyone that she knew; she wasn't really ready to face anymore judgment just right now.

Even though Jason had been supportive of her when he had first arrived he hadn't done that great of job of hiding his feelings. He had seemed surprised by the fact that she was looking as good as she was under the circumstances, and more than a little comdemning so she didn't really relish the thought of having to explain to anyone that she wanted to turn over a new leaf. Well, not to those that weren't close to her that is.

She was just about to head to one of the last remaining vacant seats along the counter when she heard her name called. Spinning around and looking over at a booth in the corner by the window she peered at the person sitting there. 'Sookie, is that you?' It took a few seconds for it to register the face with the voice then get over her surprise when she saw Walt Sawyer sitting there dressed in a dark suit and looking … well he was sure good looking, her brain registered as she took in his outfit and the way he sat comfortably in his clothes. 'Would you care to join me, if you aren't meeting someone that is?' His eyes doing a fair bit of skimming over her and registering his approval of what he saw.

'Hello Walt, thanks that would be nice,' she smiled, 'what brings you over here from Shreveport? Oh and by the way, thanks so much for your kindness. I got your email just as I was going out and was going to respond when I got home but my business plans have kind of fallen through for the evening.' He smiled at her and shrugged. 'Well that's a coincidence now, so have mine.' He chuckled a little before going on. 'Here we both are done up like we are going to some kind of corporate board meeting at this time of night and with nowhere to go.' She laughed at themselves too.

'How about I buy you a coffee and a piece of pecan pie? I hear it is to die for here.' The last time she had eaten pecan pie … the night of Grans funeral was just before she had gone to Bill. It had been her first time and so very special. She remembered she had been so full of pie that she was worried she would look fat and bloated and he wouldn't want her. But he had. He had taken her, he had loved her no matter what. How stupid that something as mundane as the mention of a slice of pie could throw her back to that memory. She shivered at the thought and tried to push it into the back of her head, hoping to close the door on it and keep it closed.

'So Sookie, how are you really? I know that this must be a pretty tough time for you. I know what it is like,' he said soberly, noticing how drawn she had suddenly looked and commiserating with what he imagined she must be going through right now. 'I went through much the same thing not that long ago and it can be pretty tough.' She looked at his face as he said this and saw the muscles tighten and the furrow on his brow. The sadness in him seemed to match the sense of loss that she was feeling right at that moment, a loss for things that could never be again and she was touched by this man's vulnerability. 'I am sorry to hear that Walt. Was it someone close? Oh I don't mean to pry but well, if you need someone to talk to well… I am okay with lending an ear.'

Walt looked down at the table for a moment, studying it as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, taking his time to compose his thoughts before making up his mind whether to unload his burdens on someone else. 'My wife was killed by the infected not long after the outbreak,' he said quietly, 'so you see we kind of have something in common.' She reached across and gently picked up his hand resting on the table top, giving it a little squeeze of support. 'I am so very sorry Walt. I really am.' 'I was so grateful to Alcide for keeping me busy' he explained. 'After it happened I thought that I would go nuts but he was there for me. He kept me going when I didn't really want to go on. We were pretty tight before then but ….' He shook his head as he thought about it. 'If it hadn't been for Alcide I don't think I would be around today to be honest.'

He looked up and gazed into Sookie's eyes. 'Alcide and I didn't keep secrets from each other. He knew just how bad things had been with Juliet and me for a while and it was him that bought us back together. When I met Juliet she was on the rebound from a relationship that had gone wrong. She didn't talk about it much but I thought that she was over it, that she had gotten Jack, her ex, out of her system and for a while I think that she did or I would never have married her. She did a pretty darned convincing job that she hated him in fact,' he sighed.

Sookie sat listening not saying a word but reflecting on how very similar her life was to Juliet's. 'Things seemed to be okay for a while, even good… but then something changed. I don't think it was just Jack coming back to town, I think it was deeper, like she had him in her blood and had never admitted even to herself that he was the love of her life. She was at war with her own feelings and losing the battle. Still we tried to live happily enough together. Fooling ourselves I guess. Going through the motions to the outside world that all was rosy but I knew, deep inside I knew that it didn't feel right. I could never hope to be the person that Jack was to her, never have the same meaning for her that he did.'

'We did have some good times, it wasn't all bad but if I could put it this way, she loved me but wasn't in love with me, that was the difference. And it is a big difference when you think about it. I wasn't the love of her life and I would never be that for her. She wasn't a bad person Sookie, she was just in love with someone else and hadn't recognised it at the time.'

'Just like you and what you feel for Bill.'

Sookie's face froze. She blinked and thought for a moment that she had misheard what he said.


	24. Chapter 24

"Staying over at Maxine's to get the taste of Bon Temps life. LOL. See you when you rise tomorrow, Katie." Bill read the text message that popped onto his phone a little after two in the morning after finishing his session with Tagahashi.

He chuckled a bit to himself at the thought of Katie spending the night with Maxine and then wondered if Pam was there too. Hmm, Katie may have found Pam a more interesting study than Maxine's humble little abode but chose not to let that fact be known. He shrugged, she knew what she was doing and he could understand if there was an attraction between Katie and Pam. As far as he was aware from snippets that Jessica had let slip, Pam was pretty much single now that Tara had given up on her when she had left in search of Eric. Jess had even let slip that Tara was doing pretty well herself and in a solid relationship, finding love at last in the arms of Willa and getting on with her Mum. There was a certain synchronicity to the Northman family now, particularly now that Eric was back and with a more sober outlook than Bill had ever previously witnessed.

Much to Bill's surprise, the first thing that Eric had done after recovering from his near death ordeal, Pam finding him in the nick of time to save him and herself from meeting the true death by burrowing into the snow to reach an underground cave out of the sun, was to come to Bill and offer an apology. And not just for his grief stoked actions after the death of Nora either. He actually sat down and rattled off a list of affronts committed against Bill over the years and for once in his long life, he seemed genuinely remorseful. The usual bluster was gone and a more serious Eric sat before him offering his services to Bill.

At the time he had wondered if it had anything to do with some kind of new game plan that Eric may have thought up, perhaps believing that there was still some kind of link to Lilith and her powers, but as time went on he had set various small tests of Eric's newly turned over demeanour and he had passed them all, even down to making him the chief co coordinator of the DA program. Eric had actually taken to his role with relish and was doing a fine job.

The only slip up as far as he could see was Eric's recent appearance on Sookie's door step and that wasn't entirely anything to do with vampire business really, it was personal. But then again, he couldn't really blame him for trying now could he?

He continued sitting at his desk for a while, making various notes from his conversation with Tagahashi, his memory being photographic he could recall every word that he had ever heard spoken since being turned. It was a boon on some occasions and a horror on others to have such abilities he thought as he typed at vamp speed and sighed.

The results of the tests Tagahashi performed were not really news to Bill, they merely confirmed what he had suspected from the moment that they realised the blood of Lilith had worn off. He knew what the others didn't and that was that while he recovered from his own ordeals as he fed, his own blood regenerating at a rapid rate thankfully, he felt different to what he had experienced with the blood of the goddess within him but there was something within him that he kept in check, hidden from everyone, even Jessica. It was something that he had lived with all his life, human and vampire and now Tagahashi had confirmed it and Bill's suspicions were even greater than before.

When the scientist had asked if he had any living descendants that were different, his immediate thoughts flew to Adelaine Bellefleur, she was after all half Bellefleur and that meant a descendant. The fact that she was half Fae as well didn't come into the equation as far as Tagahashi was concerned, not that Bill told him that. He merely verified that he did have someone that was of his human blood line who was young and said that he would see what he could do about getting a sample of their blood to him as soon as possible. The challenge in front of him was talking Andy Bellefleur into it and that was going to take a lot of dialogue with his stubborn relative but he was sure he could swing it, particularly as these days Andy was beholding to him on more than one score.

Bill knew that Andy's resentment towards himself and his progeny Jessica was justified. How could it not be? She had taken away his beloved daughters in a fit of madness and nothing could compare to the loss of a child, he understood that all too well. Hadn't he felt the same grief as he stood looking down into the small coffin that held his beloved son that dreadful night he had come home no longer human? And then to experience your own child begging to be turned to ease the sufferings of their own slow death, how could he explain the pain of Sarah's request and his own misfortunes to another without it sounding like a pitiable excuse to the ears of one who was grieving? But somehow Bill did.

He sat long and talked for many hours of his own grief and loss to Andy the night that the first attack on Bon Temps had taken place and Andy had come to him to thank him when, had it not been for Jessica's vigilance during the mass of hordes that had attacked then Adelaine would have been drained, the infected drawn to her like moths to a flame. Jessica had stood her ground and fought like a tiger to protect the young Fae just as she had said that she would so when Andy had made his way through the aftermath to find Bill, he found a friend waiting for him, a companion in his grief that he had never thought to have found, someone sympathetic and empathetic to his loss and grief.

With time Bill and Sam's plans for a vampire – human relationship had proved to be so successful that even Andy had to admit that it worked and that was an ease to his mind. He began to see that even though he still could not sit completely easy with vampires, they were trying to integrate for what it was worth. He had a new respect for vampire Bill and a lot of regret for things in the past.

The call to arrange a meeting with Andy was set up for the next day and although Bill knew it had to be done, he was pragmatic enough to know that what he was going to tell Andy was going to come as a shock. He hoped like hell it wouldn't set their newly formed relationship back any but it had to be done, it was just that it wasn't going to be easy telling the proud police chief that he was his great great whatever and that as such he needed a sample of Adelaine's blood.

Calling on Andy and after laying his cards on the table, he was heartened by the response he received. He had not expected Andy's reaction to be quite what it was when he told him all and even though at first he had looked a little sick he then pulled himself together and held out his hand to shake it. 'Vampire Bill, I know that there has been a lot of water under the bridge as far as things in the past go but I am willing to let bygones to be bygones and welcome you to the family. If it wasn't for you and Jessica I wouldn't have my Adelaine alive now and things around here would be mighty hard to live with, with what is happening in the world and all. If you and Sam hadn't done your bit well, I don't even want to think about it none too hard. If Adelaine's blood can help out in that respect then you have my word that you will get it.'

True to his word he had been there within in the hour after getting old Doc Martin to take a sample and now, some hours later with dawn pulling at him, Bill could get to rest knowing that Tagahashi should have the sample by the following day. Time would tell if it was to prove to be of any help but one thing was certain, Bill now had been welcomed back into his human family and that was something that he had never thought would come about.


	25. Chapter 25

Sookie's face froze. She blinked and thought for a moment that she had misheard what Walt said. 'It's okay Sookie. Alcide understood and was willing to settle for any piece of happiness he could get. He told me so himself. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't thrilled about it but he was settled on it.' She swallowed hard. He knew, Alcide had known all the time. He had recognised her feelings even before she had truly admitted them to herself and yet he had still been willing to put up with her. She was truly humbled and remorseful.

She looked into Walt's eyes expecting to see judgement from this man sitting across from her that had been through the same fate as Alcide had but instead she saw empathy and tolerance. 'Sookie,' he said leaning in and taking her hand, 'the heart wants what the heart wants, you just have to let it want it and admit it to yourself honey. I wish that Juliet had and then we would both have been a hell of a lot happier with what we had. Alcide never thought of your relationship as you settling for second best, he told me that he looked on it as a silver lining to a storm filled world. He said you have to grab any kind of happiness that you can, when you can, and to hell with what came before or was to come after. At the time I believed him Sookie and I still do.'

'He was a true friend to me and I know that he would be mighty proud of what you are trying to do with your life. Just get on with living he would say to me, and to you if he was around. Now I figure that you have a whole heap of thinking to do so I will leave you be. I'll be looking forward to working with you and you just call on me any time you need anything. I owe that much to Alcide to make sure that you are taken care of like he took care of me when I needed a friend.'

'Walt,' she spoke quietly as he rose to leave, 'thank you. I really mean it, thanks.' He shook his head. 'There's no need to thank me Sookie but there is one thing that you can do that will make a lot of wrongs right,' he stood looking down at her. 'Sure Walt, whatever I can do I'll do it,' she replied humbly. 'You can go get Bill, that's what will make everything right about this whole mess. Don't think about it, just do it.' And with that he left.

And that was something that was going to be easier said than done she thought to herself as she sipped her luke warm coffee and picked at the slice of pie in front of her. Still after everything that Walt had said, and after listening to her heart instead of her head, she was determined that she wasn't going to let it go. She couldn't. She knew that deep down her love for Bill had always been there with her, even when that love seemed like a thorn in her side and a pain in the butt.

Okay so let's just take a look at things in a clear light, she was thinking to herself. One, Bill was vampire – check. Two she was Fae – check. Three, the two don't normally mix – big check. Four, what was four, oh yeh – despite everything that Bill had said to her that night after they met in the cemetery, and despite him saying he was moving on and all – well he did sort of say that, despite that, she knew, she just knew that he still loved her she hoped – huge check… so, what was holding them back?

If it was the past then she knew that Bill wasn't the kind of person to hold a grudge, he was fair as far as that went and if it was the future well hell, everyone was scared right now of the future weren't they? Yes they had hurt each other something shocking, well mostly she had done the hurting but he had too except now that she could see he didn't really have that many options at the time so yes, she was strong enough to let that go now.

Then it hit her like a thunderbolt. Why couldn't they be together, well of course, he didn't know that she loved him, really loved him, that she had truly forgiven him and that for once in her life she was more than ready and willing to put herself last and do anything and everything possible to love him for himself and nothing more.

That's what she needed to do, she needed to prove her love to him was not just a fleeting whim, some change of heart now that Alcide was gone and she was on her own and that she wasn't just dangling him along like a love sick puppy. But how, how could she ever prove it? She didn't know how but she knew one thing surer than day is night, she was going to do it even if it killed her.

Okay so there was more to it than that. Point three on her list was a big one too, the Fae and vampire issue but there was nothing that she could do to change that. That was the way it was and would stay unless… a new thought hit her right between the eyes. Why hadn't she thought of it before? She couldn't believe that she had been so stupid. All right it was a long shot and she knew that she would need some help or at least some advice but wasn't anything worth a try.

If it meant that … no, she couldn't even let herself think it. It was one egg in her basket full of hope too many to think about right now. Small steps, she said to herself, this is too important to rush into blindly like the way the old Sookie had. Hmm yeah, she liked that she thought suddenly. Thinking of the old Sookie and her ways opposed to the new and improved Sookie as she thought of herself now. She smiled to herself at the thought. The only dark cloud on her horizon was convincing others that she really did mean it and that she had changed.

When she got up the next morning to a brand new day freshly washed and sparkling clean she felt just as refreshed as if she had slept for days instead of only hours. She had a brand new lease on life and where she was heading, and a determination that she would get going with the future and not look back.

After grabbing some breakfast she sat down at her old desk and started making calls, ticking off each one from her list as she made her way down it. She called up a surveyor first off and arranged to meet him down the back of her land later that day. She was sure that he would be able to map out the boundaries and confirm that everything was in order. In the back of her mind she was hoping that Bill might be impressed with her thoroughness. She wanted so very badly to show him that she was deadly serious about her project and not give him any reasons to forestall it so she intended to do whatever it took to present a comprehensive case to him.

The next thing on her list was to call the architect that had done the designs that she liked so much. She hoped that with the way things were with the economy he would jump at the chance to accept some new work, let's face it, times were tough. If luck was on her side he would be free and able to get started as soon as possible.

She sat scouring the internet looking at colour schemes and kitchens, bathrooms and carpet, in fact everything that she could think of that goes into finishing off a home. She looked at endless pages of images posted showing various décors and fixtures and fittings until her head was positively spinning with ideas.

She knew that she was jumping the gun, that all of it could be just a pipe dream and a waste of time if she didn't get Bill's agreement on the project. She was glad that the other sides of the boundaries wouldn't need the same consideration; one side bordering the old road to the back of her, the other boundary running along the line with a forest reserve that Sam had advised wouldn't be a problem when they had talked the other day. It was a huge relief to her not to have to go through this with anyone else, it was nerve wracking enough as it was.

She just hoped like hell that Bill would agree. That wasn't all that she was hoping she sighed to herself as she thought about it but she was determined and oddly enough she had a glimmer of hope. She didn't know why, maybe it was something to do with his cool hands running through her hair the other night or the way that he had smelt as he leant in closer to her, that same Bill smell that he always had, the faint hint of after shave mixed with his own personal scent. It was like catnip to her and she gave a little shiver at the thought of it and her body responded.

If it had been back even six weeks ago she would have scolded herself and been annoyed at the reaction she was having just thinking about him in that way but instead she let herself go and plunged into a day dream of her and Bill in front of his fireplace, laying together making love. She melted into the tenderness she saw in his eyes as he took her. She once again felt his cool skin lying on top of her as he covered her body and soul with loving kisses that spoke more than a thousand words ever could. She felt cocooned and the safety of his strong arms as he held her and told her she was the love of his life and that no matter what came to be she would always have his heart.

What kind of a fool she had been for doubting him she asked herself. What kind of blind idiot had she been for not trusting such a loving heart and soul, she sat thinking as she relived the moment that he had first taken her with so much care and thoughtfulness.

Well not any more. Never again, she vowed to herself, would she ever question or mistrust him. She had paid the price for her stupidity and she was dammed sure that she was going to do anything and everything to make it up to him, no matter what it took.

She loved him and it was about time she started showing him just how much.


	26. Chapter 26

'Good evening Mr Compton… Bill,' Tagahashi corrected himself, 'thank you for being so prompt with the blood sample. It arrived by express courier this morning and thanks to the technology at our disposal we have already commenced tests and have some preliminary results that I would like to share with you.'

Upon rising Bill had checked his many emails, sorting anything that needed his immediate attention, forwarding on others that could be dealt with by Jessica – generally a large proportion were from ladies groups that had somehow or other found his own email address and were requesting his appearance at this and that function or others with requests for book signings. He was a little chuffed with the fact that his book was still number one on the best seller list after all this time but he just didn't have the capacity to fit these events into his schedule right now. As for the many personal appearance requests from those interested ladies, well they would have to make do with biding their time.

At first he had attended as many of these various events as he could but he became so uncomfortable with the many offers from ladies willing to donate blood to him, and the more persistent ladies that seemed to show up at each of these functions who were almost stalking him, that he began to fear for his own safety. Things were getting out of hand when at a talk he gave in Sacramento he was approached by an enchanting raven haired doll of a creature who wanted nothing more than a lock of his hair to 'place in a locket next to her heart', she explained to Bill. He was flattered, tempted and scared all at once by this wonderful woman and was barely able to escape from her charms.

But the final straw came when he had been at one of these appearances in Albuquerque, New Mexico and returned to his hotel room only to find a ravishing blonde naked in his bed offering a lot more than room service could supply. She was so tempting that it took a lot of his will power to refuse. So as not to overly disappoint the stunningly gorgeous temptress, he was reduced to glamouring her into a good place and sending a personalised autographed photo that she would frame and treasure for the rest of her life, leaving her believing she had spent the night in bed having had the most fantastic sex she could ever have imagined but was sworn to secrecy about it to protect Bill's reputation.

Much to Bill's embarrassment the photos had been one of Jessica's schemes. She came up with the idea after being inundated by so many requests for pictures and because of the countless correspondence she had to deal with from the many fan sites that had sprung up around the country. The Bon Temps post office had been forced to hire two extra postmen just do deal with all the letters coming in and it got to the point where Bill and Jessica had been forced to approach a web design group to set up an official website, one of the many rules for membership proclaiming that only electronic requests would be dealt with from now on. It did little to curb his popularity and many requests, in fact it only increased the adulation for him on a worldwide basis now that he had taken the cyber space plunge and the mail continued to flood in, both in paper and electronic form.

He had been overwhelmed by all the attention and simply could not understand the interest in him and said as much to Jess within weeks of it all first starting. 'Oh come on Bill, get real. What thinking woman with a heartbeat wouldn't want to get you flat on your back and jump your bones?' Jessica observed. Bill's eyes opened wide as saucers. 'Jessica, please!' he admonished a little prudishly. 'I am not going to have this conversation with you. It wouldn't be… fitting.' Jessica laughed, 'Oh Bill you are so precious. I am vampire, I am not the little virgin girl that you turned remember.'

He had been shocked that firstly she would say such a thing and secondly, he had never thought of himself that way. Of course there were some women attracted to the notion of vampires, believing in the perception that, well, they could "go all night" as the glossy magazines and the media put it but well, even though he could, it was not something that he wanted to discuss. He might be the most attentive, satisfying and imaginative lover that any lucky woman was to find in the bedroom but that was not something he was prepared to admit to in public. It was private between himself and the lady involved. Real men didn't kiss and tell was how he had been brought up in his human life and he wasn't about to start changing now. Not for anyone.

'Jessica I am sorry. I sometimes forget that you are a woman with err … your own values. I guess part of me will always think of you as that girl that I … as my daughter, and no Father wants to hear his daughter talking about those kind of things. Besides, that is not how I see myself. I never have, I have never been comfortable with that way of thinking.'

Jess took his hand in hers and squeezed it. 'Bill you are the most handsome man I have ever met. Not just on the outside but on the inside too. Now come on, about those pictures, I have a photographer coming next week.' So he had been coerced into sitting for various shots in various forms of dress depending on what Jessica and the photographer thought would be of most interest to his legions of fans and influenced by the kind of requests Jess had made note of from the multitude of fan sites.

One enterprising site in particular, the most popular Jess noted, had even run a poll asking their members to rate what kind of pose they would like to see Bill in. Jess had thought that Bill had almost blushed red, if it were possible, when she showed him the results.

What would you like to see Bill dressed in:

1. A suit

2. Tight jeans and a white Henley

3. Jeans, open to the waist shirt and leather

jacket

4. Tight cargo pants and tight t shirt

5. His birthday suit

6. All the above

The results of the poll:

1. 100%

2. 100%

3. 100%

4. 100%

5. 500%

6. 900%

When Jess had showed him he blinked. 'These figures don't make sense,' he commented, startled by the poll and clearly not up with how fan sites worked. 'How can you have 900%?' he asked. Jessica was laughing. 'You silly, you don't get it do you?' She was giggling at the expression of total bewilderment on his face.

'They want you Bill no matter what you have on but well, you with nothing on is their preference. And as for how, well they just sit there clicking on the button over and over and even though they come up with these ridiculous figures, they love you and want to do their bit, you know, show you how much they love you in their own way.' She rolled her eyes. 'In other words you are smoking hot and they know it and want to make sure you know it too. It doesn't matter what you have or haven't got on, bottom line Bill is that they love you to pieces.'

He left her going through the shots from the shoot, gobsmacked and shaking his head in disbelief. Woman, he would never understand them if he did live for all eternity!

After filtering his email he was left with three that required his immediate personal attention. One was from the White House, a thank you for making the time to meet with the President and praising him for the job that he was doing. It was from a private email address that only those in the know received and encrypted with the highest security possible. Bill smiled as he read it and responded with his thanks for the support he was receiving and advising that he was hopeful there may be good news in the near future.

He filed the email and his response in a folder on an external drive he kept in his hidden wall safe then locked it back up. He knew backing up was mandatory with important matters such as these and besides, in his own way he treasured the genuine gratitude shown to him and wanted to keep the emails.

He was still human enough to be a little chuffed to be on first name basis with a President and at times he wondered if in some ways the epidemic, once they had found a cure of course, if it had done some good. If it was to bring about a new world, not just for vampires but for all that existed on the planet, then there was something to say for the whole sorry mess.

Despite all that had befallen Bill over the years since he had been turned, and even in his human life when fate had intervened into what should have been a weary soldier's return after a war that he didn't believe in but fought on principal never the less, despite all of his experiences, he was an optimist. That may be contradictory to the hopelessness that he had fallen into and had lead him to the desperate measure of drinking Lilith's blood but he had felt he had little else in his existence at the time and really, the way he was seeing it then, it was more of a journey of discovery.

He had sought something better than the lonely emptiness that he was feeling and the bitterness that had overwhelmed him at the time. Turning to the belief in Lilith as he had, had merely reflected his hopes for something to once again mean something to him, to give him back some kind of feeling because right at that point in time, he had been numb, bereft of anything to keep him going through the long endless eternity that flowed into the future. Grieving for the life that he had been deprived of, the love that had been relinquished and the humanity he had lost. He was at a turning point hoping beyond hope for any kind of solace and thought that if there was any chance of finding something, anything to make him feel worthwhile again then it was in the embracing arms of the vampire goddess.

And now only time would tell if he had been right to do so or not but at least for his part he had no regrets over his actions on that score when he thought of saving Jessica and all other creatures of his kind. That was something that he could truly thank the goddess for, if not for anything else.


	27. Chapter 27

'You have results already?' Bill was surprised by this news but when he thought of the eminent minds that Tagahashi had at his disposal he knew that he probably shouldn't be. 'Yes Bill and I think that what we have found will be of enormous interest to you. The sample that you sent was from your youngest living kin if I am not mistaken?' 'Yes that's right. She is a direct descendant,' Bill nodded. 'Well her DNA matches those unusual traces of human DNA that we found in your sample but not only that, her blood has some of the same extraordinary qualities that yours does. In short Bill, I have to ask you what kind of creature is she and err…,' he hesitated for a fraction of a second, 'what kind of creature are you? You are more than just vampire and your relative is more than just human.'

Bill sat without saying a word so Tagahashi, fearful he had overstepped himself and uncomfortable with the silence that flooded the gulf between them, ploughed on. 'The exciting thing about this is the preliminary results that we have found. Whatever is in your blood Bill, we have cause to believe that it is the answer to stopping the virus. The tests have shown that it has slowed it down to a point where even though it still exists, it can no longer be spread because it has become so weak. Now we know that there is a likely hood that it could be killed outright if only…'

'If only what?' Bill asked. 'Well the problem is that the molecular structure of this component breaks down very quickly as well as being very weak. I will try to put this in layman's terms. If you order a glass of Scotch with water for example, when you drink the Scotch it is diluted,' he peered at Bill hoping he was following him. 'Yes that's right, what of it?' Bill was curious now. 'Well if you order a glass of Scotch with ice, when you drink it the Scotch is diluted by some of the melting ice but not as much as it would be if you were drinking it with water.' 'I understand, go on.' 'Now if you drink a Scotch straight you are getting undiluted Scotch, full strength, pure if you like. The composition of the part of your blood that is unidentifiable like that of your relatives, that is like Scotch with a small shot of water whereas the second sample you sent is stronger. If we could find another sample of the same strain that was of a purer quality combined with what I like to call the "unknown factor" in your blood that we have yet to identify, then I think that it would totally annihilate the virus completely.'

'You see as I told you your blood is unique for more reasons than one. Your string of genetic code has molecules in it that quite frankly, the only other time that I have seen anything like it before quite escapes me but I have searched through copious amounts of data and have come across similar, but not the same mind you, results from the oldest remains found of man. Put simply there are minute traces of something very ancient in your blood and it is those minute particles that become the glue to stabilize the unstable properties that you and your relative have which in turn would negate the virus we feel,' he shrugged, 'but as I said, that part of your blood and that of your relative is not effective enough for us to be able to synthetise a fixed serum that could be used with the guaranteed effective properties to it.'

'I guess what I am looking for is the equivalent to what vampire's class as "Royal Blend" if you will excuse me saying so, no offence meant,' he squirmed at the term and looked apologetic for mentioning it.'

'No offence taken,' Bill replied automatically, somewhat distracted by the analogy the doctor had used. 'I will get onto it straight away and see what I can do. Is there anything else?' he asked politely. 'No that is all but I thought that you should know immediately. I hope that I have not offended you in any way but I have to say,' he hesitated fearing to raise Bill's ire but never the less compelled to go on, 'you are an extraordinary man Bill Compton and not just because of your blood.'

After bidding Tagahashi goodnight, Bill couldn't settle down so because the night was clear and a crisp bright moon lit the garden and beckoned him out of doors, he sat under the veranda listening to the nightly sounds and thought of all he had learnt.

A million thoughts flooded him. Was Tagahashi confirming what he had always thought and felt, that he was different from all the other vampires he had met except for one, and that one was just as much an anomaly as he was? And yet Bill, as far as he knew, was the only other vampire in existence that had shared the same what, as Warlow had? He was at a loss to even put a name to it. Warlow was fae and vampire. Bill was vampire and had drunk from Warlow and from the vampire goddess that had turned him, and he had drunk from Sookie too who by all accounts was a fae princess. Was that what was different about him or was it more, he asked himself.

And then there was the little matter of the unknown factor that the doctor had mentioned. Were there remnants however small of Lilith in his blood? Was it possible that despite having lost the powers that he had when he had drunk her blood, was it possible that there were faint traces still within him and would now forever link him to the goddess? And if there were, what effects did that have on him he wondered. Were there powers then still within him that he was yet to discover?

Was there something still within him that despite telling Jessica that he was feeling relatively back to his normal self, he doubted that he would ever really recover from the horrific ordeal he had undergone and had it now become part of his very make up? He had to admit to himself that he despaired he would ever feel quite normal again. But even before all of this had happened he had always felt he had been different really, if he was being honest with himself.

He had thought that it was because he had fought so hard to keep something human alive within him and that was what had made him different to other vampires but as time had marched on he had to admit to himself that perhaps it was more than just that. He had always wondered why out of all the men that had fallen into Lorena's clutches in that small lonely cabin in the woods, what was it about him that she had found so different that she had to turn him, trapping him and bonding him to her for eternity as she thought at the time.

Her obsession with him then had gone on to be far more than a normal maker for their progeny. She was obsessive to the point of stifling and yet even when at the very end of her existence, when he could feel nothing but pity for her, she had chosen to meet the sun rather than let him go freely to be with Sookie. She had been so besotted that true death was preferable to living without him. Why, why he had asked himself countless times before and again tonight, why had she felt like this about him, such strong feelings that to live without him was an abysmal torture to her? It made no sense to him at all.

Then there was that first night that he had gone to Merlottes and without even glamouring Sookie she had put her life on the line to save him. Of course that was her nature but he couldn't have been mistaken, there was something more to it. He had wondered at the time if she hadn't glamoured him but after a while he had also wondered if it was something other than that, something that was within them both that subconsciously they had both been drawn to, a mutual recognition of some kind that it was in both their blood.

He sat looking out into the night, across his lawn to his tree line. His thoughts wandered along the path that led to the cemetery and to the portal that he had gone through into that other realm, remembering the first time that he had found himself there and Claudine and been so shocked and had thought that it was not possible. At the time he had put it down to drinking so much from Sookie after his terrible imprisonment, an action that he would be haunted by for the rest of his existence but one that he had little control over at the time it had happened. Claudine had been Sookie's godmother and her protector, she surely would have known what had happened and yet she was still shocked to find him there. Why, why was he different?

Was it mere coincidence that he lived next to a portal? He had always related to Sookie and her feelings of being different because that was how he felt but what if … no he shook his head, he refused to acknowledge what was becoming more and more likely. Did he have fae blood in his genetics, even if it was only the smallest of small amounts and combined with the lingering presence of Lilith, his vampirism and his humanity, was it all part of his fate to be in the position he was right now.

The moment that Tagahashi had mentioned "Royal Blend" only one thought had come into his mind - Sookie. She was purportedly a fae Princess. She was of a royal and noble lineage, Niall had confirmed that and so even though she was part human, her blood would be the most pure fae blood that Bill could think of short of Niall himself. Would it be possible or even thinkable to get a sample for Tagahashi to test?

The thought of even broaching the subject with her was abhorrent to him. After all the pain he had gone through and put her through when he had to be so hard in order to try to save all the vampires, no it was simply out of the question he couldn't ask it of her. He wouldn't ask it of her and yet, if he didn't then what was to become of them all.

Once again he found he was in a position of asking something of her that was beyond the pale and more than likely enough to turn the fragile relationship that they had right now, to end it completely. Was it his fate that of the only thing other than Jessica that he loved was to always be sacrificed for the greater good? He sighed to himself. Just as he had made up his mind that he couldn't ask it of her, he had put her through too much already, his mobile text alert went off and a message from Katie flashed up.

"Bill I am sorry, forgot to tell you Sookie came over and needs to see you. Sorry!"


	28. Chapter 28

'My apologies for keeping you out so late Miss Stakehouse but I was held up on my last job and as this was kind of a last minute thing plus my truck breaking down like it did, well I was lucky to be able to get here at all.' Sookie smiled, 'I appreciate you coming at short notice Mr Draper. As I explained on the phone I wanted to get you to take a look at the boundaries just to make sure that everything was in order. Here is the deed to the property with everything marked out clearly but I wanted to confirm that it is all correct, you see I was away for a time and the umm… person looking after the place got a new deed made up and well, I just wanted to check that it was correct. I am planning on some work in the future and need to tie up all the paper work first.'

While Sookie had been waiting for Roger Draper, the surveyor she had contacted to arrive, she had planned out in her head what she would say as a reason for the appointment with him. She didn't want to particularly say what she was up to, not until she had spoken to Bill and hopefully gotten his go ahead but at the same time she knew that it was necessary to get things checked. When Eric had given her back the deed to her house she had noticed that he had gotten a new one made and had a survey completed so she did want to check that his was accurate and that there wasn't anything wrong with the paper work. When it came to Eric she wouldn't put it past him to do something underhanded like paying or glamouring someone into altering boundary lines for his own nefarious purposes. Better to be safe than sorry and in her own way she was kind of hoping that vigilance with this would impress Bill and maybe show him how serious she was about her project.

By the time that Roger had finished doing whatever it was that surveyors did it was well and truly dark. How he could see to use his instruments she didn't know and his explanation of night vision scopes and other technical equipment went right above her but she was relieved to have him confirm that it all looked to be fine and that she had nothing to worry about. With a promise of a cheque in the mail and extra to cover his fee and the inconvenience for the short notice, he left Sookie to make her way back through the small forest at the back of her house but then she changed her mind. It was now or never, and with the deed in her dress pocket she thought what the heck, she might as well trust her luck and head on over to see Bill, at least then she would know one way or another whether all her plans would be in vain.

It was just lucky that she had bought a torch with her so that she could see but even so, the small over grown track through the scrub was uneven and was taking her a while to pick her way through it, longer than she really wanted to take as it was getting quite late now and for some reason she was feeling uneasy.

The path skirted around the thickest part of the wood and for a while ran alongside the boundary between her and Bill's property. Looking over through the trees she caught glimpses of his house in the distance and a pang of nostalgia hit her.

She thought back to the time that she would have simply scooted through the garden and cemetery and straight to Bill's house to find him on the porch, his blue eyes shining in the moonlight as he felt her coming and he waited impatiently for her. For a moment she thought that she saw movement on his front porch but told herself that she was just fantasising, after all what would he be doing out on his porch right now, he probably had much better things to do with Katie. They were probably out to dinner; he might even have taken her to that fancy French restaurant where he had proposed to her.

Note to brain, do not mention that again, she said to herself as unexpected tears stung her eyes bought on by her sudden fit of melancholy and regret. 'Oh Bill,' she said out loud sighing at the thought of his face as he sat there and asked her to marry him.

The pathway had veered off to the right away from the boundary and his house was lost to sight as she sighed again, 'Bill how could I have been so stupid?' 'Sookie?' the voice coming closer to her through the darkness startled her and she jumped. 'Bill?' she asked, peering into the shadows, 'is that you?' 'Sookie I just got your message…' 'Bill I was coming over to see you…' they both spoke at the same time. There was an uncomfortable pause before they both simultaneously started again. 'Sorry what were you going to say…' 'After you ladies first…' Another awkward pause ensued. 'Sookie go ahead, I insist.' She gulped and thought well it's now or never.

Bill had been sitting on the porch thinking but it was getting him nowhere and he was getting restless so he decided to go for a walk. Just as so many times in the past when he would patrol the woods watching to make sure that Sookie was safe, he took to the path that turned off the track leading directly to her house and wandered along the side of the wood instead. Many was the time that he had completed the circumventive route, out of sight and mind, covertly guarding her and making sure she was safe but the length of the weeds that were tall now told the tale of just how long his services had gone unrequired and unwanted.

He was mooching along considering what he was going to do when he heard a noise up ahead of him on the path. To anyone else it would have been just the nightly noise of the woods or perhaps a trick of the wind but not to his keen vampire hearing. No, Bill heard a very distinctive sigh then words that he had thought he had given up the right to hear spoken long ago, he heard Sookie's unmistakeable voice saying his name and then he heard her other comment. To say he was surprised was an understatement and for a moment he really did think that it was wishful thinking but then he felt that small immeasurable pull mixed with something else, hope. At the same time he did wonder what the hell she was doing out at this time of night and why was she walking along this path.

For one fleeting moment he considered turning around and heading home but then he vamped up, he couldn't bear to go through yet another disappointment and he knew what he needed to ask of her could push her to the brink with no turning back. Dare he ask, could he even broach the subject of her blood with her, remembering the last time they had talked about it and the bitter words that conversation had evoked? He had no rights as far as she was concerned, those he had forfeited a long time ago and yet there was something in him that told him to go on, nothing ventured nothing gained he had been brought up to believe. Worst case scenario it would put yet another wedge in their very fragile relationship, if you could even call it that. But it didn't stop him. He had to go on now that he had made up his mind and as per usual he found himself in a position that he really would have preferred to never want think about, let alone be part of.

'Bill,' Sookie looked up at him and caught the soft gleam in his eyes but she couldn't quite get words out under his gaze. 'What is it Sookie,' he asked gently. 'I, I was wondering,' she swallowed. This was so hard, harder than she thought. Dam it, she was tongue tied and nearly trembling suddenly. Just being this close to him and she could smell him, that same familiar scent of him. Her heart was racing and she was losing a grip on her thoughts. Why did he always have this effect on her, what was it about him. It wasn't just his vampireness as she put it, there was something, something else that was bigger was intangible.

She had looked up the word in her online dictionary once not long after they had met and she had thought that it described it perfectly – elusive, ethereal, indefinable and indescribable. That was it, whatever he had and whatever the effect that he had on her was indescribable but she did know one thing for certain whenever he was around, she felt like she had come home, like she knew him, recognised something in him that she couldn't name or make sense of but never the less missed desperately when she wasn't around it. It was the same kind of comfort that she got from Grans or well, from Niall she suddenly thought oddly enough, like family.

'You were wondering what Sookie?' Bill said encouragingly. 'Well I know this may sound like a stupid idea and you can shoot me down in flames Bill but I want to subdivide my land and build a kind of gated family community for any one that wants to move here and embrace yours and Sam's way of living,' she said all in a rush. 'Of course it would be vampire friendly and I was wondering, seeing how my land abuts yours that well, I know I have to get your permission and approval and I sort of wondered what you think of the idea?'

She stood there breathing hard waiting for his reaction. Her heart was racing as she scanned his face for any outward sign of approval or disapproval and was on the verge of tears when she saw that he shook his head. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes stang.

He must hate the idea.


	29. Chapter 29

'Sookie you never cease to amaze me,' Bill was still shaking his head as he gazed down at her. 'That is a great idea. It's perfect really when you think about it and could work so well. It could be something that would tie in well with the programs that we are already running and it would solve the current lack of housing for all the new residents that have flooded in. You know every day I get requests from various people making enquiries about how our scheme works so if we could offer something like this, a model village, then that could only further progress our cause as far as the acceptance of the programs go and not only that but a whole new way of cooperation and lifestyle may come of it.'

Relief poured out of Sookie at his words, relief and a whole lot more. He had said "we." She hadn't been hearing things; he had said "if we could offer." Her heart began to race again but for a completely different reason. Did he really mean that he was willing not just to approve the use of the land but to help her, to even work with her and to work together? 'Bill, do you really mean it? I have so many ideas,' she enthused and she went on to tell him her plans as they walked back to her house and sat down on her porch talking for hours.

When she began to yawn and she shivered a little, she realised that it must be getting really late. 'Bill, I am so sorry. I have been prattling on and you said that there was something that you needed to see me about? I guess that I am just so happy that you think that the idea isn't stupid that I got carried away a little.'  
'Sookie I think that it is a great idea and you know that I will do anything I can to make it work for you and for us,' he said looking at her, not even sure if he meant "us" as a whole or "us" just the two of them. Maybe both, but right then all he was really thinking of was how much like the girl that had coming running out of Merlottes that first night with a chain in her hand to rescue him she seemed right now. How that core of inherent kindness had somehow come to the surface amongst all the turmoil and past wrongs that had befallen her and both of them, and how very relieved he was that it had and how welcome it was.

She shivered again and he quickly took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. 'Thank you,' she said almost dreamily, the touch of his hands as he brushed her neck when he put the jacket around her had been like a pull through her, his skin against hers so familiar and so missed. 'What was it that you wanted to say,' she smiled a little as she gazed at him?

Inwardly he was cringing. He didn't want to go down this path, not now, not at this very minute. They were in such a good place right now and this could be the undoing of it all, but he didn't have a choice. No amount of gated community plans were going to solve the major issue affecting them all, the hep V epidemic. Only the research that Tagahashi was doing would bring about a possible solution. So with a great deal of trepidation he decided that there was only one way to broach the subject and that was by holding nothing back, and by telling her the truth.

'So you see Sookie,' he was explaining, watching her face closely for any signs of the kind of reaction that he had feared, 'you see I am not asking you for your blood for my sakes, or only for the sakes of vampires but for the good of the whole. You do see that don't you? Tagahashi has come so far but needs this one more piece of the puzzle and he thinks that it may be what he needs to find a cure of sorts for the disease. If he can find the solution then he can synthesize it and then get an inoculation program up and running.'

'Well, I guess that there is only one thing to do then isn't there? How do we do this, I mean what do you need me to do Bill?' She looked at him with something in her eyes that he hadn't seen for such a very long time, a spark that had gone missing the moment that Eric had spoken those fateful words and told her of his involvement with Queen Sophie Anne. She gazed at him with trust shining in her eyes. 'You are willing to do this? It is of your own free will, after all that has happened?' he questioned hesitatingly.

He needed to know that she meant it, that she wasn't just saying it and that she wouldn't change her mind and that this wasn't just some kind of wishful thinking on his part. He needed this so much. He needed to believe again. He needed to really believe in her again if not, if he couldn't then he would be empty of all hope and the tiny smouldering glint of light he kept hidden and buried within him would diminish and die completely this time, never to flicker back to life but lie forever extinguished in one last forlorn tear filled and shattered dream.

She nodded and gently put her hand on the sleeve of the white Henley he was wearing. Her other hand was holding his leather jacket to keep out the chill but as she moved her hand the jacket slipped off her shoulders. Quickly he lent forward and drew it around her, holding it close to her chest to keep the chill out, lingering for just a fraction of a second more than he needed to out of the desire to feel some kind of emotional connection between them rather than a physical one.

She was pulling him into her very being just as she always had and always would. He was entrapped in his love of her and couldn't deny it to himself no matter how hard he tried. She would always have his heart in the palm of her hand whether she knew it or not. She was the love of his life. He had admitted it to her, denied it to himself at times too but never, never ever had he been ignorant of it and what it meant to him.

She was touched by his action, more deeply than she had thought that something so simple could ever touch her and she couldn't help herself as her hand ran up his arm and covered his hand. She looked at him imploringly, his eyes blazing back at her. She needed to be kissed. She wanted desperately for him to kiss her. She would live the rest of her life treasuring the moment if only he would, if he could bring himself to forgive her, to take her in his arms as he had before and love her with all his heart as he had done.  
Time stood still. The breeze died. The night noises stilled. No sound was heard and nothing stirred except the emotions that they both felt. How long they sat there neither one of then knew nor cared. It didn't matter. Nothing else in the whole of their crazy mixed up insane world mattered one iota to either of them.

None of the pain, the anguish, the torment and the arguments that they had shared seemed one bit at all important to either of them right at that moment. All the moments of their time together melted away. There was nothing but now, this single moment in time.

To Bill all his long lonely existence without her was like a dark shadow that had faded into the night from the moment that her sunshine had dawned on his cold dead existence. The pain he had gone through since he was turned, since he lost his beloved wife and children and himself for that matter, had all melted into another place and time from the moment that she had naively come to his rescue. That was real, that was the one thing that he carried with him locked away into that tiny smouldering glimmer of not hope, but belief in human nature. He had clung to it right up until he believed that it had died in her and in him and he had then turned his back on it but now… now that minuscule spark had been rekindled and was a smouldering flame flickering with hope once again.

For Sookie the pain of her imperfect childhood, her awkward adolescence and her unmitigated loneliness in adulthood was a thing of the past too from the moment that Merlottes got its very first vampire.

From that moment her life was a whirlwind of pain, fear, longing, danger and of love and adoration, forgotten for a time but still there buried unrecognised deeply within her. Bill had been more than just someone she had given her virginity to, he saved her from a life of endless nothingness. He was there. He had always been there beside her, protecting her, even when he wasn't there in the physical sense. He was the one to lift her out of her insecurities and self-doubt. He had given her a life where as before, she had only existed. Even when she hated him she loved him. How could she not? She had loved him from the moment she had first seen him whether she knew it or not or cared to admit it to herself or anyone else. He was her first and the only real true love of her life.

He could feel her warmth near him as he looked into her eyes and smell her hot sweet breath. She could feel his cool body almost touching her, making her shiver not from the coldness so close to her but with the excitement thrilling through her.

Was it so very long ago they had stood almost exactly like this on his front lawn under the moonlight hesitatingly unsure of each other just as they were now sitting on her front porch? Was it too long ago to remember the exhilaration they had both felt when she had pulled him into her and kissed him as she had never kissed nor been kissed like that before? Was it possible to put the past to rest and finally start a fresh?

Thoughts, so many thoughts whirled around in her mind but one thought kept haunting her. It could never be, they could never be again. Bill was with Katie now and besides, he was vampire and she was fae, her head kept telling her so but her heart told her something different, urging her to simply wrap her hand around his neck and pull him into her. Kiss him, kiss him it is your only chance, the voice that she has so long ignored told her. You want to, it would be so easy. Just do it.

Bill's inner voice was telling him similar thoughts. He wanted desperately to feel the warmth of her mouth on his cool lips again. To hold her in his arms and wonder at the beauty within her but he had trapped himself inside the falsehood he had given her to protect himself and to protect her too from further hurts. Plus, it always came back to it, she was Fae and he was vampire and it was an impossible situation. But, he suddenly realised, he wasn't entirely vampire and now with the tests that Tagahashi had done he could prove it to her and to himself. Was there hope, was there a chance for them?

She threw caution to the wind, finally succumbing to that inner voice of her heart and moved her hand slowly upwards, her palm cupping the back of his head, her fingers gently stroking the soft silky hair running through them. Trembling at the touch of her hand he inched closer, still gazing in to her eyes until their lips almost met.

'Bill, Bill where are you?' a frantic voice broke the spell they had both been under and they quickly drew apart, the moment disappearing like a wisp of smoke into the dark starry night above them never to return.


	30. Chapter 30

'Jessica?' Bill's voice was filled with alarm at the urgency in his progeny's voice. 'Jess I am over here,' he called out, moving with vampire speed off the porch to stand in the drive looking in the direction that the voice had come from. Sookie joined him as quickly as her legs would take her, still shaken by the nearness of him and how close they had come to being whole once again.

'Bill thank god I found you,' Jess blurted out hurriedly as she appeared in front of him taking in the scene of the two of them standing closely together, Sookie's face flushed and Bill looking, if anything, a little ruffled and unlike she had seen him before. 'What is it, what has happened?' 'Bill, Katie was attacked.'

Sookie's heart sank at the mention of the name Katie. For the last few hours she had really forgotten about her … well not forgotten but she had chosen to ignore the thought of her in the hopes that she would go away but now there was little chance of that she realised, disappointment flooding through her. She looked away from Bill in the hopes that he wouldn't see the look on her face but it is was too late as he had caught a glimpse of the crestfallen look. It hurt him to see the pain on her face but at the same time he was elated that she cared. She must really care.

'Tell me quickly what happened,' he said, brushing aside his own emotions and needs for the moment as he always did. 'Katie and Pam were in Maxine's garden. You know how her house backs on to that piece of common ground over on the outskirts to the south west of the town beyond Merlottes,' Bill nodded encouragement for Jessica to continue. 'Well it seems that three infected had been watching the house for some time and when Pam went inside they attacked Katie. It's alright though, Pam fought them off but she got pretty hurt. No one can find Eric and Tara is off with Willa at a Shreveport DA meeting.' 'Eric is in New Orleans giving a talk to the heads of the various county DA's, he won't be back for a few nights as he has volunteered to do a check of all the blood banks for promotional purposes,' Bill said, explaining the Viking's absence.

'Before Pam killed them all she managed to get out of one of them that they are planning an attack on the village. It seems that Alcide riled more than a few of them when he took out one of their leaders and…' Jess hesitated, glancing at Sookie almost apologetically, 'their interest in Bon Temps has been peaked by…' her voice trailed off.

Sookie swallowed hard. She didn't have to be a mind reader to know that it was her that they were interested in. She was a vampire magnet. It was bad enough throughout her life thinking that she was a telepath but being the realisation that she was a Fae and was just drawing more and more trouble on the heads of all of those that she cared about and now the whole of Bon Temps too, she knew that it was time to vamp up as the saying goes. She sighed and then spoke.

'There is only one chance of a solution to all of this. Bill first thing in the morning I will go see Dr Martin.' Jessica interrupted, 'Dr Martin is away, I went to get him to look over Katie and they said he's gone over to Hot Shot to deliver a litter so he won't be back for a day or two apparently,' Jess rolled her eyes as she said this, Were panther obstetrics clearly not being her thing. 'I'll go see Dr Meade, he's really old but he knows his stuff. He's been my family doctor for years. Is that okay?' Sookie asked turning to Bill.

'Are you sure, are you really prepared to do this?' he placed his hand on her arm and looked into her eyes. 'It's the only way Bill. Now you had better go take care of Katie.' Her voice gave an infinitesimal crack and she cast her head down. 'Sookie,' Bill placed his hand beneath her chin and made her look up. He couldn't stand the ruse that he had created and what it was doing to her any longer. He had to tell her but not now, there wasn't enough time. He needed to get to Katie and Pam and make sure they were all right.  
'Look at me,' he said gently to her and she raised her eyes to look into his. 'It's not what you think. It has never been what you think. I don't have time to explain it to you now but I promise you I will. Hold strong, go inside and lock all the doors and...' he paused thinking for a moment, 'if you still have Eric's hidey hole I know that you mightn't like it but it is probably the safest place to be right now. At least if you are down there I know that I can keep you safe.' She nodded and he bent down and kissed her fore head then in a flash he and Jessica were gone.

It was late now, really late and despite being dog tired Sookie brushed her teeth, washed off her make-up and slapped on some moisturiser. She was about to head off to bed when she stopped herself in her tracks. She had promised Bill that she would protect herself down in the hidey hole and she wanted to show good faith so reluctantly she climbed down the ladder, locking herself in and went to bed but sleep didn't come as easily as she thought that it would. How could it when all she could think of was Bill's cool lips on her skin, his soft gentle hand on her as she gazed into the eyes that were so full of trust and, dare she hope, love.

Her heart beat fast at that thought that there was a change, a turning point tonight that gave her so much to hope for. What had he said, 'it's not what you think.' Those were his exact words. She wondered what he meant but she didn't want to think too hard, she just wanted to savour the moment and dream of what might yet be. The only dark cloud in her thoughts was the reality that she was once again brining danger upon all of them. If only she wasn't Fae she thought as she finally drifted off to sleep, a small smile on her face and her hand touching her head where Bill had kissed it.

A light in the corner of the little room began to shimmer and grow stronger until it became a dazzling cloud of brightness. From the centre of it came the face and head of Niall calling to her. 'Sookie, you know what you have to do. You know within your heart how you can be whole and make things right. Trust in your knowledge, believe in the light and let it go. Believe in the love that your heart holds and the love that his heart holds for you. All will be right if you have faith and do what needs to be done. He is of your blood and in your blood. Do not hesitate. He loves you so much. He is a worthy and good man.'

She woke up with a gasp. What had she been dreaming? Was it still dark or was it day? She had no way of telling down here in the little cubbyhole. Picking up her cell phone she glanced at the time. Lord it was after eight in the morning and she had slept in. She had meant to be up much earlier so that she could shower and get to Dr Meade's first thing and now she was going to have to rush. She had washed her hair before going to meet with Roger Draper so at least that was going to save her time now. She showered hurriedly and grabbing a quick drink of orange juice she gulped down her regular vitamins, a habit she had from back when she had first been with Bill and had continued on with it and then she flew out the door into the warm sunshine.

It wasn't until she was halfway to the doctor's that she remembered her dream. She wasn't even sure that it was a dream, with Niall and her faery relatives she was never sure if they were real, apparitions or something that she dreamt but that was neither here nor there when she thought about it. It was the message and what he had told her that had got her thinking hard.

What was it that had really caught attention, something about letting it go? She was puzzled. She had let go of her anger so she supposed that was what he meant. She did believe in the love that she knew that Bill had always had for her so she supposed that he was talking about Bill and had always been. Even that last time that she had seen Niall, standing in the sunlight on her front lawn, his last words were that he was a good man and but she hadn't really known who he was talking about she told herself at the time.  
She knew that Bill was a good and worthy man. Even when she was hating on him her heart knew that. When she had told him that she had never trusted him, even at his best and right from the start, she had been lying to him and to herself too to protect her heart from the hurts that she was feeling and to convince Alcide of her loyalty too.

As for having faith and doing what needs to be done, well that was a no brainer, she didn't need a road map to show her that the first step on that road was exactly what she was doing right now. By her giving her blood if it would help even in a small way that would be something that she could do to rid them all of the scourge that had descended upon them.

At least it would show Bill that she was really trying and that she had faith in him again… she hoped.


	31. Chapter 31

'Sookie how are you, come on in.' Old Doctor Meade may have been a contemporary of her Grans but he had a sprightly enough manner and a spring in his step she observed as she followed him into his surgery. 'I suppose you have come to give me some blood, is that right?' He chuckled a little at the surprised look on her face. 'No, I haven't become like you, a telepath,' he assured her, 'I had an email from Bill Compton explaining that you may be calling in and providing me with all the details that were required.' So Bill had taken her for her word then, she smiled inwardly, maybe he was starting to trust her again and the thought sure pleased her.

'You know Sookie I have to say your folks would have been mighty proud of you coming out the way that you did at Terry Bellefleur's funeral. That took a lot of guts but then I always thought that you had more to you than some folks gave you credit for. Even your parents if you don't mind me saying, under estimated you but then they were only like that because they were scared for you. They both loved you so very much, more than life itself and would have done anything to protect you from those that don't quite take to anyone being different. Many is the time that they sat right where you are sitting asking me for advice about how to help you and make things easier for you with your 'gift' as they put it. It scared the bejesus out of them but they loved you all the more for it and would have moved mountains to protect you from any hurt.'

Her parents, what was he talking about? She had to bite her tongue but as he went on she became more and more interested in what he was saying and perhaps, just a tiny bit remorseful for how she had been feeling about her folks. They had never acted anything but disbelieving at best or shocked and ashamed at worst over her telepathy. She put the thoughts out of her head as she tried to concentrate on what the old doctor was saying.

'I know that this might be news to you but I have known you since you were born, both you and Jason and your folks too for that matter, before you came into the world. And then of course there was your Grandma Adele. Why Adele and I were once sweet on each other. Well I'd like to think we were but then that might just be wishful thinking on my part. I know I even had to fight old Norrie – that's our former mayor, mayor Norris to you, I had to fight him off for a place beside Adele at a Sunday school church BBQ when we were young uns and don't get me started on that Compton boy, of course I don't mean your Bill Compton, no I am going back before he came back into town.'

'Well she sure was really sweet on him. I even thought at one point that she had gone off and … well best left unsaid. Still nothing came of it. Jessie was very reserved and always was a bit, well conservative he called it, shy I would have said really for all his good looks and popularity. She waited for an age for something to happen I think but then gave up and married your Grandpa but it didn't really surprise me much that she ended up marrying and living just across the way from the Compton mansion. I always thought that she never did quite get him out from under her skin.'

He shook his head thoughtfully before going on. 'It didn't surprise me none that he never married either. When old Jessie was on his last legs he was rambling on a bit and he told me she was the love of his life and nothing would ever change that no matter what. You know Sookie there are some folks that once they find a love they never let it go, they love for the rest of their lives no matter what comes in between them in their life. I think that was how it was for old Jessie.'

He shook his head again and scratched his nose then started up again. 'Seems to me that it is a Compton family trait,' he observed looking at her with a studied manner. 'Oh I know it's hard to believe, you might think, but Adele sure was a looker in her time. It's easy to see where you got your looks from… and other things too for that matter. I don't need to tell you that she was a very special woman in more ways than one. I wouldn't say she was a telepath but she had something about her, something more than just her wisdom. She had a compassion that drew all the young bucks to her and all the girls in the neighbourhood too. She was kindness itself and always championing lost causes. And she was the best judge of character that I have ever come across.'

While he had been talking the doctor had been completing the blood collection and was now filling the little test tubes and labelling them with great care in preparation for immediate transportation to Doctor Tagahashi as per Bill's comprehensive instructions. He may be rambling a bit with his anecdotes to her but Sookie knew that he actually did know his medical procedures and she trusted him to get things done the right way but … he had given her a whole lot of information to think about and mull over when she was on her own. She couldn't think right now, she needed to be on her own somewhere quiet before she could even contemplate half of what she had learnt.

'I'll get this sent straight away. Bill has arranged for a courier to pick it up and get it to the laboratory as soon as may be. You know from what Bill says you are doing a mighty generous thing Sookie, let's hope for everyone's sake that this will be of some help. Things have gotten pretty rough for a lot of folks and it's all very unsettling. Still there is a silver lining to everything and what with the influx of decent folks in the town well there's new blood moving in to our little village and it's mighty nice to see it too. And of course there is very old blood too, but I don't need to tell you that what with you and Bill being partial to each other and everything but well I have to say that I never thought that I could cotton on to the creatures of the night but Bill and Jessica, Tara and that Willa of hers and even that one with the mouth, that there tall blonde one Pam, they all seem like a pretty good bunch to have around.

He chuckled before going on. 'Then of course there is Violet that your brother Jason seems so mighty keen on. She has been a settling influence on him that seems to have quietened him down no end. All I can say there are a lot of fathers in this town that can lock their shotguns away now that Jason seems to be spoken for. You know I was around during the sixties when there was a lot of trouble and a mess of change going on. People back before then had been none too tolerant of certain folks and when the vampires came out, and what with the troubles there have been, it is just like history repeating itself in some ways but if we can get through this, and if we can find a cure for the plague, well who knows. Things mightn't be all that bad.'

'Tell Bill that I have sent the blood off Sookie, and tell him that I wish him all the best of luck.' He held out his hand and shook hers. 'You know he is a fine man, we are lucky to have him amongst us. It was a lucky day the day that Bill Compton walked back into our lives here in Bon Temps but then,' he paused and looked at her smiling, 'I am guessing that is no news to you young lady. Now you take care and just call on me if you ever need anything you hear.'

Sookie thanked him and assured him that she would be in contact if she did ever need him. He may be old and talk a lot but he reminded her so much of Adele that it was comforting to be around him, even if some of his talk had been more than news to her, it had been an eye opener. Adele and Jessie were in love and yet she married her Grandpa after waiting for Jessie? It sure made her wonder. And he had never married, pining his heart away for something that he could have had but for what, what was it that had stopped them?

Oh my stars, it's kind of like Bill and I. He asked me to marry him and when I hesitated everything from then on has gone wrong she thought as she drove off. Well if he asked me to marry him now I would say yes without a blink. This thought was so startling to her that she nearly drove off the road, in fact she had to pull over to get herself a bit calmer.  
She suddenly realised that more than anything else in her whole crazy world she was regretting that she hadn't said yes straight away. More than anything else in this whole mess she wanted Bill to ask her to marry him again. Her heart was nearly bursting with the thought of marrying him, of spending the rest of her life with him. Right now, right at that very minute she realised that she didn't want to spend one more moment without him. She realised that she wanted him desperately to be with her, to face the future together and to move forward.

It didn't matter that he was vampire and it didn't matter that she was fae. All that mattered were Bill and Sookie when it came down to it. At the back of her mind there had always been that niggling doubt that he only wanted her because of what she was and the pull that she had on him and his kind. She had not entirely believed him when he had told her that fate filled night before Eric showed up that he loved her for who she was and not what she was.

Somehow, and she didn't know how, but somehow she wanted to make things right. She was determined to make things right. She didn't want to end up living with regret for the rest of her life, that was a no brainer and she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that it didn't happen she thought to herself.  
She just hoped that she could do it.


	32. Chapter 32

'Now what the fuck am supposed to do with these?' Pam asked as she walked into Bill's office carrying a crystal vase filled with blood red roses. They cost a fortune but to Pam that made no difference nor did the sentiments expressed in the card Eric had sent with the flowers to her when he had heard that she had been attacked. 'How lame,' she drawled as she read the card but secretly she was touched by his sentimentality, he must be getting soft but it did make a change from the way he had treating her before she rescued him. She had found him in the snow and burrowed down into a cave, keeping him there and feeding him at night from locals in a nearby village until he regained his strength and appearance. He owed her and he knew it. The rift that had come between them had healed and if anything, their bond was just as strong, if not stronger, than ever.

Bill looked up from his desk where he was going through his emails. It was the first thing that he did every evening the minute he rose from his down time as vampires liked to put it. 'Good evening Pam, you are looking more like yourself I am glad to see,' he greeted her. 'Bill cut the polite chit chat, you know that it doesn't impress me.' Her eyes scanned over him coolly then softened a little. 'Sorry, I am …,' she never thought that she would ever be saying this, 'I am grateful for you showing up and for putting me up last night,' she said a little gruffly, 'perhaps I misjudged you all these years.'

That was the closest thing that Bill had ever heard as an apology from Pam in all the time he had known her and it rather surprised him. 'You know that you are more than welcome to stay for as long as you need. The rooms in the basement that I have had converted into bedrooms are completely light tight and are at your disposal for as long as you require them.' He smiled a little, softening the formality of his speech.

Pam hesitated. 'May I?' Bill nodded and she pulled out a chair and sat down. 'I wanted to talk to you about what happened last night anyway but please go ahead, what's on your mind Pam?' 'It's about last night Bill. You know that this is the start. I got it out of one of those dweebie little rats before I drained them. They were on a scouting expedition to get the lay of the land. They're after something Bill and I think that we both know what that something is.' She looked him straight in the eyes and waited for his reaction. 'Oh yes, and what would that be?' he asked coolly, gazing back at her unflinching under her scrutiny. 'Oh come off it Bill, there is no need to play coy with me,' she replied somewhat sarcastically, as was her way.

'We both know that it is your precious Sookie that is drawing them here,' she retorted, 'like moths to a flame.' She looked at him with something like pity in her eyes, Bill almost but not quite squirming under her gaze. 'Tell me something,' she went on, 'what is it about our Faery friend that turns otherwise sensible men into pussy whipped douche bags? Is she that good a fuck?' Bill cringed under the weight of the question put so bluntly, but from Pam you couldn't expect anything else. 'Eric was under her spell, glamoured by her from the moment he saw her, even though she was very clearly yours. It's just so very ….lame,' she said peevishly adding half to herself, 'thank god he is over it now.'

'How you can even think of her without wanting to drain her for what she did to us, did to you,' she shuddered, 'I don't even know. She abandoned us Bill. She has used you and Eric and then brushed us aside. After all the times you have come riding in on your white charger to rescue her, to protect her.. that has to have hurt. And for what Bill? Now here we are again in danger because of her. Just tell me one thing, is she worth it?' With probably the most human gesture that Pam had ever made since being turned, she leant forward and placed her hand gently on his sleeve. 'Is a love that hurts this much and that tears you to pieces, is it really worth it? Let it go,' she softly urged and then looking away she whispered sadly, 'I know that I have.'

Before there was a chance to answer her question one of Bill's security guards knocked on the door and walked over to him. He had increased his security overnight after the attack and taken extra precautions notifying both Sam and Andy of the events and arranging a meeting with them for later that night to discuss this latest development. They were going to have to be on their guard and extremely vigilant with their patrols of the parameters that they had in place. Bill had already requested additional security vampires to be sent up from New Orleans to help out and they were expected to arrive sometime before dawn the next day he hoped.

'Excuse me Mr Compton, there is a young lady to see you sir, name of Stackhouse,' he said formally, his ex-marine training showing in his military bearing. Pam looked at Bill and rolled her eyes. 'Show her in please Lock.' Bill's eyes met Pam's and he was surprised to see the sympathy that he found there in them. So it was like that with Pam, he thought, it would be a thankless task loving the viking but he was also happy in the thought that perhaps, with a bit of luck, she may just find a loving and worthy, comforting heart in the arms of Katie. Too soon to speculate of course but there was a certain possibility. Both of them were inherently strong women that knew what they wanted but beneath the tough exterior they were soft as fudge.

At that moment Sookie walked in and interrupted his thoughts. 'That's it, I am out of here. Time to go feed from Maxine,' Pam mumbled but she couldn't resist a parting shot at Bill. 'Catnip,' she drawled, raising her eyebrows and rolling her eyes as she turned to leave, eyeing Sookie up and down and deciding that the faery had at least lifted her game in the fashion stakes for a change. Those cheap little floral "frocks" and hideous shorts that she wore were gone and she had on what looked to be almost a good copy of a designer suit. Not bad, room for improvement but not bad at all she thought as she moved to walk past her but pulled up short when Sookie broke into a grin and made to hug her. Pam had never been so surprised in her life and looked anything but comfortable.

Bill too was a little surprised as there had never really been that much love lost between the two of them but he knew Sookie and she certainly did seem genuinely pleased to see Pam. For a moment things were awkward as Pam stood there rigid and unmoving and allowed Sookie to give her a brief hug. 'It's good to see you Pam,' she grinned, 'it's been a while.' 'I see that you have updated your wardrobe,' Pam observed, 'it suits you.' And that was the closest thing that Sookie had ever had as a compliment from her. 'Catnip,' she drawled again over her shoulder to Bill and was gone.

Bill had remained behind his desk watching this little scene but saying nothing. Apart from the very obvious change to Sookie's appearance, her hair in a neat knot at the nape of her neck, her make up skilfully applied and her suit skirt and shirt well cut and fitting her in all the right places, there was something else that was very different about her now. It wasn't the superficial changes that Bill was noticing, no it was the demeanour she had. There was a sincere air to her now, something that had been missing for a long time. Gone was the resentment and bitterness replaced with that intangible essence she had when they first met. Not her innocence that he had so loved but the spark of compassion perhaps, he mused to himself. Pam in her sarcastic way may have called it catnip but to Bill he never thought of it that way even though she had been right and he had fallen under its influence from day one.

'I'm sorry Bill, I didn't mean to disturb you,' she apologised, breaking into his thoughts. 'I… I just wanted to let you know that I saw Doctor Meade and he took some blood. I thought that you would want to know.' 'It's fine, really. Won't you sit down and we can talk?'

After leaving the doctor and in between running errands Sookie had spent most of her time that day thinking about everything old Doc Meade had said and trying to figure out a reason to call on Bill that night. She may have appeared to ignore Pam's remark about catnip but she knew what she was referring to and couldn't help asking herself if the shoe wasn't on the other foot. After all, it was her that couldn't seem to stay away from Bill right now despite the fact that he clearly was with Katie. 'And I wanted to make sure that Katie was alright, that she didn't get badly hurt last night. I know how worried about her you must be,' she said sincerely.

Bill's conscience smote him. He couldn't let this deception go on any longer than it had. He had to tell her the truth and put her straight. It had never been his intention to hurt Sookie but at the time he had only created this ruse to protect himself and because he honestly believed that there really was no hope left for a reconciliation but now… he hesitated to think. He didn't want to get his hopes up but he couldn't help it, he just wondered if he told her the truth would that be the undoing of everything. Would he end up being back to square one and the small chink of light that was the hope he harboured, would it be diminished and this time there would be no going back.

'Thank you Sookie for what you have done. It means more than I can tell you.' He looked at her with those anime eyes of his and she melted under his gaze. 'What was it that made you do it? I mean well…,'he paused not wanting to rehash the past but still wanting to know, hoping that he would hear answers that gave him more hope. 'Bill I told you that I am sorry. I am so very sorry and I want…' 'What do you want Sookie?' he asked eagerly. Her cheeks flamed red under his scrutiny. How could she tell him what she really wanted when he was with Katie and there was no hope of reconciliation?

She looked down at the floor and then looked back at him. He got up from his desk and came around it to kneel in front of her, taking her hand. 'Sookie,' his soft voice spoke her name in that intoxicating way that always sent shivers through her, 'there is something that I need to ask you.'

She gulped and trembled. What could he want to ask her, her mind went into a tumult of confusion? There was one thing that she was desperate to hear him say and she didn't think that there was a hope in hell of him ever saying the words again that she so wanted to hear.

'Sookie will you…'


	33. Chapter 33

'Sookie will you…' he didn't quite know how to get the words but he had to once and for all, this was the final chance, make or break and he had to take it. 'Will you forgive me and forget the past, can you do that because I need to tell you something but I need you to listen to and to understand.' She looked him in the eyes again and nodded. 'Bill…' He held his hand up to stop her. 'Please just hear me out and then if you want you can say anything that you want to or say nothing at all but please Sookie, I have to tell you this, I don't want any more secrets between us. Not now, not ever.'She said nothing fearing whatever was to come now but nodded anyway.

'When I thought that I had lost you, really lost you, I had nothing left in my life. I had no hope, I had no purpose and so I grasped at anything that I could that would make me feel again. Right from when I was turned, no it was even before that, even when I was human I felt different to others. When there was talk of war I shuddered. Yes I fought for what I believed in but what I was fighting for was to keep those that I loved safe from harm. If the war hadn't broken out I would have freed Minas and the others anyway. I never believed in slavery but that wasn't the norm around here.'

'During the war I had to do things that I hated. To take another person's life was abhorrent to me. Sometimes I think that I honestly don't know how I would have coped with the guilt of what I had done while in the army after the hostilities were over. I just don't know if I could have lived with myself but…., well I never got the opportunity to find out so in some ways I was lucky that I was spared that at least. I can understand what today's returning combatants go through and I feel for them,' he shook his head as she sat silently listening while he spilled his heart and out not wanting to break the spell of his musings.

'I have always believed in equality for everyone. Perhaps that is why I embraced mainstreaming, I don't know but it has always struck me as being the height of stupidity thinking that anyone person, race or creed, is above another. There's no sense in that, no justice. What makes one person or group any better than the next? What gives anyone the right to even think that way?' He shook his head again. 'That was how I felt as a human and it never changed, not even when I was turned. I wasn't like other vampires so you see I didn't quite fit in as a human and I didn't quite fit in as a vampire. There was always something different and I knew that a long time ago, just as you always felt different too. When we met I could understand how hard it was for you and that was one of the things that I was drawn to, we were both different to others. It is really only recently that I have found out exactly how very different that we are from others and how much that you and I are alike and share something that others don't have.'

'Bill, what are you talking about?' she interrupted. He hesitated then put both his hands on her shoulders so that he got her full attention. His lips quivered a little, trying to formulate what he needed to tell her. 'Sookie, even before you had taken my blood there was something wasn't there, something that drew you to me as much as I was drawn to you? It wasn't just the "assignment" that I was on for my part; from the moment that I walked into Merlotte's and saw you I was drawn to you. There was something that I recognised in you that I lived with deep inside of me too, that I have never been able to analyse but I knew that it existed. You felt the same didn't you, despite yourself? It was magnetic, as though the rest of the world didn't exist and that finally there was someone out there that was like you, that you had finally found a connection with, a spark of recognition if you like to put it that way.'

She nodded with empathic agreement and was about to speak but he stilled her lips with his finger, gently holding it against her mouth to forestall her words. 'I have to say this, I have to tell you. Over the past months I have been assisting with the search for a cure for Hep V that you know, but what you don't know is that they have found something in my blood that may help and that something is…'

She was hanging on his every word, holding her breath, her suspicions aroused by a nagging thought in the back of her mind which his speech had opened up to her. He had been right. Ever since he had walked into the bar and she felt his presence there she had been aware of her feelings towards him. Yes she had loved Eric but it was different and so was what she felt for Alcide too. With Eric it had been her empathy for his helplessness and vulnerability when he had amnesia that had swayed her. He had been like a little lost child and she was like a protective mother, that was it and that was all but with Alcide it had been the almost normalcy of a solid relationship built on friendship and gratitude for that promise of an almost routine existence that she had told herself she loved but it was never really quiet enough. Bill, now with Bill it was different.

It was always different. It was like… she concentrated hard asking herself what was it exactly that made it so special then she let her breath out…. it was like finding the one person in the whole world that totally got you, that understood you and felt the same. It was like going home. It was like finding yourself after being lost for your whole life, a mirror reflection of where your soul belonged.

She stared into his eyes, holding her breath and waiting for him to speak, feeling that the rest of her living days all depended on whatever he was about to tell her. 'Sookie, I have fae blood in me. I am part fae.'

She continued to stare at him, not saying a word but just standing there speechless with his words sinking in. 'It's not a lot, maybe only a speck,' he went on, 'and I have no idea how. I mean it's not because I have drunk from you… and it's not something left over from,' he cringed, 'left over from Lilith or even Warlow. When I was mortally ill after saving the others at the camp, I had lost a lot of blood so that had it not been for Jess and Jame's blood I wouldn't have made it and trust me, I lost a lot of blood but Dr Tagahashi has assured me that it isn't that. It is in my DNA as is some part of my humanity too. I am a biological misfit and I don't know why but I do know that there is a chance, slim I admit, but there is a chance that between your blood and mine, we may be able to find a real cure for the virus. That is why it was so important that you would give some of your blood for testing. You are Royalty and the last of the remaining earthly bound Royalty at that. Your blood is special.'

'I didn't want to tell you before because I didn't want to influence you and besides,' he looked at her apologetically, 'I wasn't sure that you would want to help me and my kind and well, I didn't feel that I had the right to ask it of you.' 'Oh Bill, you know that I will do anything that will help that I can. I …' she looked down at her feet then looked back up into his eyes, 'I want to make up for some of the things that I did. I want to show everyone that whatever they thought of the old Sookie, that Sookie is gone and I am going to make wrongs right if I can. I will help you in any way possible.'

'You know that I said to you that night at the Authority … that night that you were so desperate and you were so lost,' tears coursed down her cheeks as she recalled those moments, 'I said that you were the only vampire that I knew…' 'Please don't,' he stopped her as her words bought back to him that dreadful scene. 'I am sorry Bill, I am so sorry. I should have told you then, I should have said that I love you, that you are the one person in this whole world who has always been there for me even when the things that you said and did,' she then corrected herself, 'the things that we both said and did were so hurtful, I should have just zapped you to make you stop from hurting yourself but instead my pride, my stupid stubborn idiotic ego got in the way. I always knew that you were special.'

She trembled. 'You see I thought that you knew but how could you know how much I loved you then and always will when I never really bothered to tell you. And then that night at the social when I said…, when I flung at you that even in your better days I didn't trust you – nothing Bill, nothing could be further than the truth. But you knew that then didn't you, you have always known me better than myself just as I knew deep down that you are the only consistent constant that I have ever found in my life and now that I know it and admit it, it's all too late. I threw it all away,' she said sadly.

'No Sookie, no it's not too late,' he looked down at her, 'I have a confession to make to you. Like I said there are to be no more secrets between us.' 'But Bill, it is, it is too late. You are with Katie and … I am happy for you, really I am.' She avoided looking at him but that wasn't good enough for him. He put his hand to her chin and raised her head so that she didn't have an option but to look into his eyes. 'Are you really happy for me Sookie? Are you really happy that I am with Katie?' he asked, his voice strained, eager to know if she was telling the truth or not. His body was rigid, every muscle tightened with anticipation as he waited for her response.

Her eyes left his for a moment unwilling and unsure of herself until finally she looked straight at him, throwing caution to the wind. 'No,' her voice barely whispered, 'no I can never be happy without you Bill. I know that now.'

'Katie is not with me. It was an illusion we created in a moment of madness for protection from the hurt and pain that I just couldn't bear when I thought that I had to let you go for your own sake and for mine. I don't love her Sookie. I ….'


	34. Chapter 34

'Katie is not with me. It was an illusion we created in a moment of madness for protection from the hurt and pain that I just couldn't bear when I thought that I had to let you go for your own sake and for mine. I don't love her Sookie. I ….,' his voice faltered for a moment, 'I never did. How could I when just as I told you long ago, you are the love of my life. I have never loved nor will I ever love as I have loved you.'

He stood looking down at her, his eyes boring into hers searching for something, anything that would show him he had not been a fool to dare to hope that she might feel the same way and once and for all forgive him, putting the past behind them finally. She was standing so closely he could feel her warm breathe on his skin, smell the intoxicating fragrance of the sunlight on her skin overwhelming his senses and engulfing his very being.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, its beat was ringing in her ears so loudly she thought for one moment that she had misheard him in her desire to have him again holding her safely in his arms. She wasn't sure if it was a trick of her mind, wishful thinking and her thoughts playing with her because she wanted his love again so very much, more than life it's self but then she looked into his eyes, the same eyes that had always held so much love for her and she saw it there plainly. It had never really gone, only been masked at times in anger and disappointment for which she couldn't blame him.

'Bill,' she whispered so softly that it may as well have been an unspoken thought, 'Bill my love.' She raised her hand and gently, tentatively pulled him into her slowly, cautiously, still unsure of herself. Was she dreaming? Would she wake up only to find her face wet from crying again for want of him? She wanted this to be real, to be finally happening. Bill didn't love Katie, he wasn't with Katie, he loved her and always had her heart sang with insanely intense joy. It had to be real, nothing in a dream had ever felt so right, so completely spectacular as she felt right at that moment. Please God don't let this be another dream, she prayed.

As if with divine intervention the proof that she needed that it was real and not a dream came by an unexpected means, Bill's mobile rang loudly in his hip pocket, the ring tone Reach For the Gun from Chicago loudly shattering the silence, much to her astonishment at his taste in ring tones and Bill's embarrassment.

It wasn't the normal version either, it was from a live performance and the singer was hitting an incredible high note. Sookie raised her eye brows and gave him a very curious look to which he smiled shyly, shrugged and looked apologetic as he took the call, his eyes never leaving hers as he put his arm around her as though to keep her close for fear of her leaving. Hah, not likely to happen any time soon she thought to herself as she felt his firm muscles around her and noticed that his biceps felt as though he had bulked up quite a bit since the last time he had held her so long ago. She liked the feeling, she liked it a lot and realised just how much she had missed it.

She was lost in a reverie of happiness, hoping that it was not too presumptuous but she couldn't help herself as she stood there feeling him surrounding her with his presence, so much so that she wasn't particularly paying attention to the conversation he was having until the urgency in his voice drew her thoughts away from the happy place she was in and back to reality.

'Where Sam?' Bill's side of the conversation was sounding serious now and she looked at him alarmed as he went on. 'How many, do you know the numbers? Where are they headed?' No, this could only mean one thing she thought with increasing alarm. 'Okay, stay put. I will ring the others and spread the word. Don't do anything until we meet you there. Hold tight and Sam,' his voice sounded strained, 'be careful and take care.'

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and pulled her into him. 'We don't have much time. I have to go,' he murmured sadly as he brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face. 'Bill what's happened is there a new threat?' she asked, knowing the answer in her heart already. 'It's just as we feared, last night was just a scouting party. There has been a large band of infected sighted on the outskirts of town heading straight for us. Sookie I have to go but I want you to promise me that you will go down to my basement here and stay there till this is over. I will give you the security code and there is plenty of food and water down there, enough to keep you going if you needed to stay there for a while.

There's internet connection and the phone lines are secure so that if worse came to worse you would still have contact with the outside world. You will find a list of help next to my laptop, people that you can contact that will come if you need them and if things don't go well, ring Robert Adler in Washington and tell him, the President will need to know.'  
'But Bill I …' 'Sookie we don't have time now, please do as I say it will help me if I know that that you are safe.' 'No Bill, after all that we have been through and all the times that you have had my back whether I wanted you to or not, I am not going to sit here safely while you are out risking your neck. Aren't you forgetting something?' She looked at him defiantly and he couldn't help himself and smiled a small smile. He had to admit that fighting this kind of fight with her, just like in the old days, well it sure beat the kind of bitterness that had been more the norm over the last little while. 'And what's that,' he asked as he ran his finger down her cheek?

'Oh no you don't,' she said grabbing his hand, 'don't think that you can distract me Bill Compton, that's so not going to work. You know I am not the helpless little girl that I was when we met. You yourself just pointed out that I am fae and well,' she was embarrassed to say it but ploughed on, 'I am royalty so I can kind of take care of myself after all, as Jason says, I have micro wave fingers.'

Despite the seriousness of the situation he laughed and he also noticed that she hadn't let go of his hand. Giving it a gentle squeeze he shook his head. 'It's just no use trying to talk you out of it is it?' he asked knowing full well what the answer would be. 'Can you really wonder why I love you so much,' he pulled her closer so that their bodies now melted into each other. Notwithstanding that time was of the essence, for one brief moment they gave themselves over to each other as she slipped her hand around his neck and he bent his head to brush her lips with his.

She had dreamt of this moment for so long now but still, feeling his soft cool skin against hers sent her reeling and when he parted her lips with her tongue, his fangs instantly extending with the excitement coursing through him, she felt the delightful rush of champagne like bubbles ripple through her core leaving her shaky and wanting more.  
'Sookeh,' he breathed into her mouth. 'Bill I want you so very much,' she murmured weak as a kitten, putty in his arms and she deliberately ran her tongue over the tip of his fang drawing blood. He gasped as the taste of her sweet nectar penetrated his body. 'Sookie no, please don't. Do you have any idea what an agony of desire you stir through me?' 'If it is anywhere near what I am feeling then yes, I do,' she responded breathlessly.

'Oh please, get a room or I will throw a bucket of water over the two of you,' the unmistakeable sarcasm of Pam's voice came shattering through the silence. 'I hate to break up the love fest but there is a little matter of a horde of V infected undead that Willa keeps ringing me about, seems she can see them from where she is so unless you would prefer to just stay here and fuck, we have some fighting to do,' she admonished, muttering something about fucking faery vaginas and catnip as she walked out the front door.

'Your car or mine?' Sookie asked as she picked up her car keys and headed in the same direction as Pam. 'What makes you think we are taking a car?' Bill asked, scooping her up into his arms and speeding off at vamp speed into the night. Nothing was going to separate them now nor ever again if he could help it.


	35. Chapter 35

'Any more news on how many and where they are?' Bill asked as he came to a halt next to Sam standing outside Merlotte's and surrounded by all the Bon Temps citizens he could muster. Mixed amongst them were their vampire protectors and those vampires that were on Bill's payroll but even so, looking around the car park Bill did a quick head count and knew without saying that more than likely they were going to be hopelessly out numbered. Sam's face was drawn into a picture of concern as his eyes met Bill's and a multitude of unspoken words lay between them. Neither one of them needed to say what they were both thinking – this could very well be their last stand, one last make or break desperate attempt to fight off what was coming.

'What the fuck?' Jason's raised voice broke into the night. He came striding over like a bull in a china shop to stand toe to toe with Bill. 'Not smart man. Why did you bring Sookie here?' he demanded. 'Jason!' Sookie intervened, 'I insisted on coming, this isn't Bill's doing. If we are all going to die then I would rather die with the man that I love than on my own somewhere hiding like a frightened little girl. And besides,' she drew herself up looking determined, 'I don't intend to go without a fight.'

Jason opened his mouth to reply, looked at Sookie then at Bill. 'Right, well that's all right then,' he nodded. 'Let's do it then,' and he let out a whoop that sounded very similar to the battle cry of an age gone by, not heard in those parts since Bill was in a very different kind of war, one that was very familiar to his ears and just as penetrating then as it was now ….the rebel yell.

'They're coming,' Willa alerted them as she sped up the car park from her lookout post to stand next to Jess, Violet, James, Pam and Tara. Bill immediately barked out orders assigning humans and vampires in a manner that used to be of the most benefit in the battle campaigns he had been part of so long ago. His keen eyes never leaving the tree line at the bottom of the car park, the direction he was expecting the hordes to emerge from.

'Stay close to me, don't leave my side. I want to know where you are at all times,' he looked down at Sookie. 'Don't worry, I will.' Her face was pale but resolute as she said this. She meant what she said. She would rather die at his side than be separated again.

There was a blur of movement in the shadows and then they came. Infected after infected stood lining the edge of the area all looking to one vampire for leadership, a huge hulking thug dressed in what was once a biker colour of some now defunct club. His skin may have shown signs of being in the later stages of Hep V but there was no doubting his remaining strength and the leadership of the mass surrounding him. As he scanned the small crowd of opponents facing him he almost sneered until his eyes focussed on Bill and narrowed. Sniffing loudly his eyes then shifted through the folds of his grossly pudgy skin to rest on Sookie standing at Bill's side.

'Well, well, well, what have we got here, if it isn't that mother fucker that thought he was king and a god,' he was sneering looking Bill up and down, 'and what is that fucking incredible smell at his side? Looks like we are in luck boys and girls, we just hit the Louisiana jackpot.' Growls, hoots and clamouring came from the mob. 'Ain't he the one that killed Tex and the others over at our hangout in Shreveport Hank?' a weasely little runt of a vamp asked. More clamouring from the group was heard. 'You know I think that you are right. Now isn't that just the icing on the cake. It is going to be even more fun than I thought taking out this bunch of low life mother fuckers,' he roared. 'At 'em,' he commanded and with a rush the battle of Bon Temps commenced.

Everything seemed to move in a blur to Sookie. Try as she might it was hard to follow what was happening and stay close to Bill. For a while it looked like they might have had a chance but they were taking heavy losses. Their group seemed to be getting smaller but she didn't really have time to think about it. It wasn't until she saw Violet explode into a pile of goo at Jason's side that she realised they were in deep trouble and knew that she had to do something, anything that would turn the tide. In the split second that she had thought this, two things happened.

Hank may have espoused attack to his motley group but he sure wasn't going to be risking himself. Even though he had derided Bill to the others, he was no fool and he knew that whatever Bill was before he had been a god and still emitted a powerful presence so with that in mind, after the charge of the others he had very cleverly hung back and skirted around the skirmish, waiting his chance on the periphery of the battle. So it came as a surprise when he attacked from behind where Bill and Sookie were fighting.

Lunging at her he managed to grab a handful of hair and pull her backwards away from Bill's side, flipping her head back and exposing her neck. In the heat of the battle it may have gone unnoticed as Bill fought off infected after infected but Hank just couldn't help himself when her Fae scent overwhelmed him and he grunted loudly in his appreciation. 'You smell delicious.'

Bill had been in the middle of fighting off a group of infected that was hell bent on getting to Sookie when he heard him and spun around. That split second of distraction was enough for the overwhelming numbers of infected to gain the momentum and jump on him.

'No,' Sookie screamed when she saw Bill covered by them, pinning his arms, stakes in their hands and with their fangs drawn out for the kill.

Time stood still. Everything seemed to stop for her. She stared in horror at the scene. Her eyes found his and locked onto them. All the love that they had ever shared between them poured through the gulf of time and embraced her with a longing that hit her like a fist to the stomach almost making her reel. Then as though coming from a million miles away she heard his voice calling to her. 'Sookie, do it. Use your powers, do it now.' His eyes pleaded with her, begging her to end it.

She knew what he wanted her to do. By blasting them it would kill him but at the same time save him from the agony of what was to come at their hands and always thinking of her, even at the last …. it would set her free. Once and for all she would be rid of the burden that had made her life such a misery since childhood. He loved her that much that he was willing her to do that and sacrifice himself into the bargain.

No, there must be another way. She couldn't, she just couldn't bring herself to kill the one person in her life that she truly loved. There had to be another way to keep him and for them to be safe and for her to be normal.

Normal… something about that thought stirred within the back of her mind. What was normal? Nothing about her life had ever been normal. Normal maybe for a Fae but hell, she didn't even really know what it was really like being a Fae princess for god's sakes. Then it hit her. 'He's a good man and he loves you so much. You know what you have to do.' The words blazed out in her mind, the parting words that Niall had whispered on the wind as he left and the dream or apparition she had experienced that seemed like an age ago now even though it wasn't.

'Grandfather,' she screamed at the top of her voice, 'Grandfather I need you. Please come… Niall.' She reached out in her mind and could feel him rather than see him. He was close and getting closer. 'Sookie,' Bill cried out to her again as Hank's fangs drew closer to the artery in her neck, hoping that the residual of the blast would knock him off his feet and give her some space to escape, 'don't wait, just do it.'

'I love you Bill Compton,' she declared, tears streaming down her face and with all the strength and determination that she had left in her, she broke her arms free and held out her hands to form the ball of her light, her pure Fae essence.

'You are the love of my life. I have never loved, nor will I ever love as I have loved you,' he whispered to her one last time, his voice fading into the ether as she threw out her hands and a blinding flash of light lit up the whole battle ground. The shock wave was like a blast of blue light and fire that rent the air asunder with the magnitude of its power.

She felt herself fading, life ebbing out of her, her spirit diminishing with each slowing heartbeat and she sunk to the ground in a crumpled heap. Her last thoughts were of Bill as tears finally blinded her and she knew no more.


	36. Chapter 36

The bright light hurt her eyes as Sookie's vision came back to her. She must have been knocked out cold and have concussion she thought as she tried to focus, wondering how long she had been out to it if it was daylight already. She tried to sit up but her head hurt and even breathing was uncomfortable. Her whole body felt worse than anything that she had ever encountered, worse even than the worst beating she had ever taken. She just wanted it to stop hurting. She wanted everything to stop. She just wanted to sleep and not ever wake up again.

Her eyes closed but somewhere close to her she thought that she could hear voices coming towards her getting louder now but she didn't have the strength or interest to pay any attention. Sleep, she just wanted to sleep and she wanted the bright light to go away and for the pain to stop.

'You cannot stay here,' a voice stated coldly somewhere behind her startling her, 'the way is closed.'

With an effort that hurt like hell she somehow managed to sit up a little, wondering at the time why on earth she had been lying in someone's garden as she gave her surroundings a bit of attention now and realised she was surrounded by the most beautiful and vibrant flowers she had ever seen since she was in … 'Oh my stars, I am in Fae,' she said out allowed in surprise.

'You cannot stay here. You do not belong here now. You are no longer one of us. You chose a mortal life,' the voice said with something like contempt and yet Sookie felt that it was masking a touch of pity or compassion and even perhaps regret. 'You were of royal birth and yet you chose a mortal life over your own people, you have given up a life time that is beyond your comprehension, an existence of tranquillity and prosperity but you have chosen mortality with all its foibles, all the pain and sorrow that goes hand in hand with living in that other world,' the voice went on, 'do you know what you have done?'

Sookie tried hard to see who it was that was speaking but didn't have the strength to, it was all she could do to continue to breathe and with each breath she found herself getting weaker and weaker, drowning in the atmosphere of that other place, that unearthly world.

She looked down at herself and saw a light engulfing her, shimmering and getting brighter by the moment. She didn't know what was happening. Her whole body was tingling like an electric shock drilling through her.

'You must leave now. You will never come back. You have chosen what you call love. It was your choice and now you must live with it. May that love, if it even still exists, be the answer to all that you seek,' the voice was fading once again as she laid back down too weak to hold herself up, 'go now and don't return. Go now to find what destiny holds for you. Go back to your future.'

What did it matter what the voice said, she knew it couldn't be real, no one could hurt this bad and still be… and still be alive.

She closed her eyes again and at once there was immediate relief. The blessed darkness came and took her.

She was gone.

The silvery light of the moon shone down in fitful breaks, clouds scurrying past to obscure the radiance from time to time but beyond the clouds a dark inky blue sky splotched with shimmering stars occasionally peeped out, giving a hint to an observer that if the veil scattered and lifted then a fine summer night might appear.

It mattered little to Bill at the time in his weariness. His leaden feet plodding resolutely onwards towards his goal, each step was a weariness to him that was beyond words. If he could just make it up the drive and across the lawn he would be home but with each step his strength diminished. Despite the balmy night the wind seemed to chill him to his bones, the tattered rags he was wearing doing little to comfort him besides, the oppressive cloak of abject despair that he wore and that clung to him like a hair shirt staved off any sense of the reality of the surroundings. He felt nothing bar the numbness and ever increasing emptiness consuming his every feeling.

Just a few more steps, he told himself, a few more and he could rest. He would be home and could sleep forever and ever. That was his last hope.

Rounding the group of trees that stood at the edge of the lawn, his tired eyes looked up for a moment gazing hazily through the utter exhaustion he barely had any strength left to hold at bay.

But what was this, was his mind playing some last dastardly trick on him for there was a light on the porch and it was not the blazing light of his refurbished mansion, it was not even his home as he knew it to be now. The view in front of him was as though time had been stopped then turned back on itself.

He stood swaying, confused and unable to take in the sight that met him. No it couldn't be. He shook his head. It … it was the light of a lamp burnt long ago and lit by the hand of one that was dead and buried not half a mile from where he stood.

He knew that his mind must be deceiving him, one final trick of wretchedness to bring him to his absolute and final undoing. It wasn't enough the pain and torment that he had gone through for the last one hundred and seventy odd years, oh no even now, even right at the end when he knew in his cold dead heart with a final surety that he had at last met the true death, even then he could not go on peacefully without some last grotesque torment to plague his mind.

As he stood wearily staring into the gloom he saw a movement, a white spectre. Was this one last and final ghoul to meet and perhaps take him on his inevitable path to eternal damnation he wondered, wasn't the last century and a half enough punishment for his sins? Was there even more to come, he asked himself knowing full well in his own mind that he believed himself to be deserving of it for all the pain he had caused. It was fitting, no more or no less than what was due he believed.

But then with suddenness the vision took shape and even as he swayed and fell to his knees, with movement like a gazelle, it ran towards him. Warm hands held his and a soft voice full of love gently whispered to him.

'William, my William, my husband, it is not your time. You have other things to do, other loves to have and hold. I will love you always my beloved, I always have and always will but it is time for you to live. Go back William go back to your future.'

The voice faded as the shadows of darkness overcame him and he was no more. The Bill Compton who had fought so vainly to keep some spark of humanity alive within his vampire existence, that Bill Compton melted into the heavens and vanished into the night.

He was gone.


	37. Chapter 37

This is the final chapter, the epilogue of A Long Road Home. It was written in 2013 without prior knowledge of the events portrayed in True Blood Season 7 but surprisingly there are some similarities to the ongoing show.

I would like to point out that this story does not necessarily mean this is how I believe the show will conclude nor does it necessarily represent my personal view regarding what I would like to see what happen.

This is merely a story, a possibility of one of the many outcomes that can be contrived for our Bill and Sookie.

If it has amused, touched or even angered anyone who reads it then I all I ask is to keep an open mind and consider the sheer pleasure that the show has given you over the years and inspired writers from around the world to create their own versions of it by way of tribute to all involved.

True Blood and Bill Compton, Sookie Stackhouse and the dynamic duo that portrayed them - was and will remain ... True Magic.

Thanks for reading.

Epilogue

The last of the afternoon sun was fading fast and almost setting when the two little urchins ran helter skelter up the porch steps and flung themselves onto the two figures sitting quietly on the porch hand in hand. 'Grandma, Grandpapa look what we found,' the excited little voices chirped together, holding out their hands excitedly with their treasured bits and pieces from their day exploring the garden. 'Thomas, Sarah,' their mother called as she walked out the old front door and onto the porch, 'time to wash up for dinner and stop pestering your grandparents.'

Bill shook his head and Sookie smiled. 'Adele honey you know the kids are no bother, we love having them visit.' 'I know you do Mum but you both look a bit tired and besides, supper will be ready in about ten minutes okay?' 'Thanks dear,' Bill smiled lovingly at her, 'we'll be in soon. Is your brother Robert here yet?' 'Not yet, he rang to say he and Jess will be over as soon as she has risen, not long now.' Bill nodded looking at the sky as the last rays disappeared.

It had had been a long day. Robert had been over earlier in the day to help him in the vegetable garden. He just didn't seem to be able to do as much as he had lately, he was getting too rheumaticky now and was glad that he had a son that was willing to help out so much. Mind you, he didn't have far to come Bill chuckled to himself, he only had to walk over from his old place. It has worked out quite well him moving in with Jess and all, the pair of them were inseparable.

He made the perfect assistant for her, she needed someone like Robert to help her out in her role as Mayoress. Not only was she the first female ever elected to the office in the parish after Sam Merlotte had finally taken a long overdue retirement, but she was also the first female vampire in the whole of the state to have been elected too. Bill was as proud as punch of her. She was a fine woman and he couldn't have wished for more in a progeny let alone a daughter. Just as they were both proud of Adele too, she was the school's headmistress. She had followed in his footsteps and even from a small girl she had wanted to be a teacher and aspired to be a principal at Compton Stackhouse Green Elementary, the school they had built for the suburb of the same name that they had created together behind their homes after the plague was contained. She was just like Bill had been at the school, caring and loved by all the children in the tightly knit community.

Robert on the other hand had dabbled in politics and worked so hard running campaigns for James, getting him elected as Governor and all that he had decided to take a break and come home to help Bill out now that he was getting on and frail. Plus he liked the intimacy of small town politics, it made a welcome change for him from living in the capital and dealing with the sharks that were always swimming on the peripheral of politics there. His name had been a boon in opening doors that otherwise may have been closed to him but everyone in the country knew the name Compton after the President had awarded a special medal to Bill in honour of his huge contribution to developing a sustainable way of living for all species and for his bringing together the team that had rid the planet of the vampire Hep V virus for once and for all after synthesizing a vaccine within six months of its conception, winning doctors Tagahashi, Heisenberg and himself a Nobel Peace prize and any number of other accolades both in the states and abroad.

Bill shook his head in wonder at how much things had changed over time. It just seemed like yesterday that he had come back home, home to where he belonged after he had been away since his turning. He had always belonged here, there had been Comptons and Stackhouses here since the little hamlet of Bon Temps had first been founded and he hoped that there always would be family there to look after the land. He was pretty sure that between his and Sookie's children and grandchildren, and Jason's brood of six kids and thirteen grand kids - with even a possibility of a great grandchild on the way after Jason had finally settled down with Adilyn Bellefleur. She had grown into a beautiful woman and only six months after the battle at Merlottes, Andy walked her down the aisle busting with pride at his beautiful daughter, so things were pretty much covered for the future as far as relatives went. Plus, Bill knew that there was to be another addition to the clan. Adele had told him earlier that day that she was expecting twins, a boy and a girl, Jimmy and Anna, the names picked out already and even though it had been a bit of a shock getting pregnant at her age, she couldn't wait to tell the whole family tonight at supper.

Bill smiled to himself as he sat there, his thoughts content and so very different to the first time that he had come courting Sookie and stood on the porch at the door step waiting to be invited in. He didn't like thinking about that time of his existence or some parts of it, he blocked it out as much as he could but there were times that the darkness of his memories came creeping back unexpectedly to haunt him. Still as far as he was concerned his life had begun afresh from the moment that he had awoken in his bedroom with Sookie lying beside him, holding his warm hand in hers, with the sunshine streaming in through the open window, the scent of the old magnolia tree wafting through the room and the sound of birds singing a morning chorus.

He would never forget that moment; it was embedded in his mind like it was yesterday instead of years ago now. He could still recall as clear as day every single feeling he had gone through at the time that he woke up, he reminisced looking back, the feelings that if this was heaven then he knew he didn't deserve it but was grateful none the less. A movement from the corner of the room had drawn his attention and there in a comfortable chair Niall sat watching over them as he had for several days now. It was not till some time later that Bill learnt that three days had passed since his last memory of the battle had occurred. He had attempted to sit up but was weak and Niall was at his side immediately.

'Rest my son, you need your strength,' he urged Bill, 'you have been through rebirth and need time to adjust.' 'But I … I don't understand,' he looked at the sunlight in the room and then turned to look at Sookie. 'It's alright, she is only sleeping, she is fine Bill. She too will awaken when she is strong enough but in the mean time I will explain if you agree to lie quietly and not interrupt,' the elder Fae said almost tenderly as he stroked Bill's confused face in an effort to calm him.

Bill relaxed back down into the softness of his bed and reached for Sookie's hand again, clasping it in his and gently raising it to his lips, brushing her fingertips and rubbing his face with it. How long do you want to be loved, is forever enough he thought to himself.

For the next few hours Niall sat there telling Bill all that had happened from the moment that Sookie had thrown her light. He had of course been not far away looking out for Sookie's wellbeing after hearing her call to him and so being older and more powerful than she was, he had more control over his light and was able to pretty much deflect as much harm away from Bill as he could while still doing maximum damage to Hank and the others that were attacking. It had turned the tide of the battle and helped to win the night.

But even so Bill had still been wounded grievously, so much so that had Niall not been there he would have been just another pile of goo mixed in with the others. Sookie too was laying deadly still, white and corpse like, the very colour drained from her face and as pale and bereft of life as Bill. Jessica was beside herself with grief, holding him in her arms moaning like a stricken child. 'I can't feel him, I can't feel him. Come back to me Bill. Come back,' she urged him gently her bloody tear stained face, a mask of pain and sorrow.

Under Niall's supervision they had bought the two of them back to Bill's and left them in his care. The only solace Jessica had was in the assurances that with time things would come to pass and Bill would be made whole again, in every sense of the word he had added cryptically to her and asking her to trust in him. She had no choice but to do so and remained outside the bedroom door holding vigil until the bleeds got so bad James and Jason, who had come through the battle unscathed, were there too and they had both insisted she get some rest.

Niall had wasted no time and made a phone call. He may be Fae and have some powers but he knew that it was beyond anything that he had within him to heal Bill with the grievous wounds that were inflicted upon him. The only hope lay in a magic of a totally different kind so he called Dr Tagahashi.

'How do you feel,' Niall had asked him, 'do you feel any … different?' His eyes met Bill's searching them for any sign that might give an indication of the change in him. 'I … I feel….,' Bill thought for a moment then with a surprised look on his face he gave a small embarrassed smile. 'I feel hungry.' Niall nodded seemingly relieved. 'Do you think you could eat a little something?' Bill nodded and Niall immediately disappeared only to return within a few minutes with a bowl steaming with a fragrant broth of some kind and rested it on the bedside table.

'Here let me help you,' and with that he put his arm around Bill and lifted him up while with the other he settled pillows behind him. Sitting down on the edge of the bed he lifted the bowl over and took the large spoon from the tray dipping it in to the hot soup and stirring it. 'What, what is that,' Bill asked inhaling deeply? 'It's what I believe is known on this plain as food for the soul. Lafayette's special, homemade chicken soup,' he replied watching Bill's face intently.

Bill looked at the bowl and looked back at the old Fae's face with a mixture of bewilderment and hope. Niall nodded encouragement. 'Go ahead, see if you can manage it.' 'But, but how?' Bill asked. 'Well I guess you will never know if you don't try,' was all he got out of him. With doubt written plainly all over his face Bill shakily raised the spoon to his lips before hesitating. His hand trembled a little and even that, that one small gesture was enough to astonish him. He took a deep breath and sipped on the liquid tentatively.

Tears filled his eyes as he savoured the very first food he had eaten since the last meal of pork that Lorena had prepared for him so very long ago in that small backwater cabin in the forest the night he was turned. But it was not only the taste of his first meal that reduced him to tears, it was the realisation that he had taken a breath, that he was breathing and with each breath he felt strength returning to him.

'How, I don't understand … how can this be,' he questioned, his voice cracking with emotion? 'Have you never wondered why out of all the vampires Lilith picked you? Did you never wonder what it was that bought Warlow to Bon Temps?' Bill looked startled. 'Well yes, but it was Sookie that Warlow came here for and as for Lilith, well I,' he paused, not wanting to admit the heinous acts he had perpetrated at the Authority, 'I … I killed believing, truly believing that if I was the chosen one I would make a difference,' he said shuddering at the thought.

'Bill you did make a difference. Do you think that it was a random act of luck that you were chosen or merely that you fought the hardest? Have you ever thought what would have happened if someone more ruthless had succeeded? Did you never think that it was more than a coincidence that drew others to you?'

'But it was Sookie, it was Sookie that drew…' Niall shook his head and reached out his hand taking Bill's in his. 'But her Faeness, her blood…' Bill responded abashed. 'No, no it wasn't. It never was. It was you, it was your blood that they were drawn to. It was you and not Sookie, that is why I had to protect her,' Niall shrugged.

Bill shook his head uncomprehendingly. His heart was racing in his chest. The thought dawned on him. He could feel his heart, he could actually feel his heart beating.

He looked at Niall. 'I don't understand,' he puzzled. 'I don't know why this happened but you have something in you, you always have had, even as a vampire you still had a spark of humanity and a spark of Fae. I have watched over Sookie since she was a child and even before. I have been coming through this portal for many, many years and seen this village as you saw it before the war and before that, even when the forest was free of white man and only we the Faes roamed free if we willed it to be so.'

'I have watched and I have waited not knowing why but knowing that one day it would be made clear to me. When you returned to Bon Temps I thought that it was not beyond reason that this event was what I was here for but,' he shrugged, 'despite everything things didn't go as I thought, well that is until three days ago.'

'You are unique Bill Compton. You have lived life and lives as no one else has. Be content knowing that you have done more for your kind than any goddess ever could and now you have served your purpose and your life will be your own again.'

'I still don't understand,' Bill murmured, 'I… I am human again? And,' he looked down at Sookie as she slept soundly beside him, 'what of Sookie?' 'Sookie is human too Bill, you both are. She used all her power to try to save you as you hoped or wanted to believe that she would. At the same time you set her free. As to how you are what you are right now,' he smiled, 'you had the answer a long time ago when you stood in her front yard and told her.'

Bill frowned. 'I am not sure that I understand?' 'Magic Bill Compton, it's all magic'.

'But the magic this time came from modern science thanks to your Dr Tagahashi. I am no medical person but I believe the blood that you, Sookie and others provided has been the answer to the Hep V problem and not only that, he was able to understand the structure of Fae, Vampire and human blood and did what he did to save you. If I understand it correctly he used some of Sookie's and Jason's blood as they apparently have the same kind that you do now in your human form. It is the rarest of all blood types I believe, AB negative and normally in short supply so you were very lucky that he could find a sufficient supply so close at hand and of course, it worked. You will have to ask him how but as I said, there is all kinds of different magic and life itself is the most wonderful of them all.'

Bill nodded to himself as he sat there in the twilight. Yes, life was the most magical and precious of things. The years had passed since that time in only the blink of an eye. They had married as soon as they could and had never been apart for a day, not even when she had Adele, named after her precious Gran and Robert, named for his brother. Old Doctor Meade had come out to the house and Bill had been there for their births, holding her hand and soothing her through the whole time.

They had spent the rest of their lives living just as they had always hoped and dared to dream that they would. No more adventures, no more angst, no more supes to interfere with their togetherness. He was a teacher and grew vegetables and she was not a real estate agent as she had always thought she wanted to be but with Bill she went on to successfully develop housing estates based on the model she had devised right in their very own neighbourhood. Her greatest role in life though was that of wife and mother.

They had lived together now happily and contented with life for so long that it was hard to imagine them apart. Where ever one went the other was there, always holding hands or giving loving looks. Even those times that Bill was called to Washington or to some other part of the country to talk about mainstreaming and how to live within the vampire community as a responsible citizen, something that he was a passionate supporter of, even then Sookie was always there beside him giving advice to those who were trying to cope with mixed relationships. The love they had for one another shone out like a beacon and it was a shining light to others.

He looked across at Sookie again now and even in the darkness that had fallen since the sun had gone down, he could see her face looking as beautiful as it always had, as beautiful as the first day he had seen her all that long time ago. He squeezed her hand lightly and she opened her eyes a little and smiled. She looked so tired but so very tranquil and the years fell away for both of them. 'Looks like Merlottes just got its first vampire, I love you Bill Compton,' she smiled at him and closed her eyes and gave the smallest of sighs.

He knew then that she had gone. He squeezed her hand a little tighter and nodded, a small trickle of a tear coursing down his age softened cheek. 'I love you too Sookie Stackhouse Compton,' he whispered, his hand gradually sliding down her side still holding hers to fall resting in her lap.

Within moments a blur of movement descended on the porch and Jessica rushed over to where they sat, but it was too late. Even though she had not been able to feel him through their bond since he had become human, the love that they had for one another was a bond of a different kind, a father – daughter bond and call it intuition if you will, she didn't know why but she felt that there was something calling her so she had sped over only to arrive too late.

They were gone, just like that, after all this time, both of them. Through her bloody tears she smiled as she looked down at the two of them sitting there together as one at the last, somehow making it fitting that even in death they couldn't be separated.

She had lost a father, a maker, a step mum and a friend but she had gained so much from just knowing and loving them. Theirs was a love that had stood the test of time and now nothing would ever part them. As she stood there in her grief she felt their spirits leave and knew that they were not far away.

On the lawn at the old house, just across the way through the cemetery, under the moonlight they stood there for a moment holding each other as they had done so long ago. 'Take your clip out,' he whispered gently to her and she reached up, her hands no longer spotted with age but young and youthful again. 'May I?' he queried and she nodded as he spread out her once aged and silvered hair to fall around her like a shimmering golden halo and he lent into her.

'I can still smell the sunlight on your skin,' Bill whispered as they embraced and kissed then faded into eternity, gone but never to be forgotten in the hearts of all that believe in True Love.

Finis – The True End


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